Scans have revealed that Per Mertesacker suffered an ankle sprain in The FA Cup clash against Reading contrary to fears of a more serious injury. However, he is set to miss the Gunners’ clash with the league leaders this weekend in what will probably be a do or die match for Arsene Wenger’s men.
The situation is that Arsenal have to win the match if they are to entertain any hopes of eclipsing Chelsea at the top of the table in what would be hypothetically one of the greatest ends to a Premier League season. The physical presence of the stand-in captain will be seriously missed especially as Jose Mourinho is of the opinion that all three of his strikers will be fit enough to play a part in the showdown at the Emirates.
If Diego Costa does manage to shake off a hamstring strain he would probably be the greatest problem to an Arsenal defence lacking in physicality. The same goes for Didier Drogba who almost always manages to score against Arsenal whenever afforded the opportunity whether for Chelsea or Galatasaray. Loic Remy would also be keen to prove a point against a side that is thought to have rejected the opportunity to sign him from QPR.
However, it should not be forgotten that Arsenal have grown to be able to cope with an even longer injury list and given their recent good form may cause more problems for Chelsea than they can manage at the Emirates.
Source: DSG
