Category Archives: Injury News

Mikel Arteta out for the season

  By jtom | 19/04/2012 - 7:30 AM | Injury News, Mikel Arteta
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Mikel Arteta suffered a season-ending injury to his ankle on Monday night against Wigan Athletic. Ligament damage will keep the Spanish midfielder off the pitch for Arsenal’s final four Premier League matches.

According to The Guardian, Arteta’s season is finished due to an ankle injury he sustained against Wigan. No fracture was detected; however, significant ligament damage to the ankle will keep Arteta out for the remainder of the campaign.

Arteta rushed down the tunnel after hurting his ankle, which left the Gunners a man down. The Latics scored their second goal before Aaron Ramsey was prepared to replace Arteta. Arsene Wenger was not happy about the incident:

“It is the fact that when a player is injured, if he stays on the pitch you have time to bring [a replacement] on. It was a misunderstanding because he walked off and Ramsey was not ready. The players think they will not come on in the first half, so they are not ready. Basically we played with 10 men, which should not be the case when a player is injured. Arteta had to come off but if he sits down on the pitch he can come off as well.” (Source: Arsenal)

Wenger’s main concern will now be about how to compensate for the loss of Arteta. Yossi Benayoun is not permitted to play against his parent club Chelsea on Saturday. Obviously, Abou Diaby and Jack Wilshere are still recovering from their respective injuries. Unfortunately, the only option appears to be Aaron Ramsey.

Ramsey has been in very poor form recently. In fact, I shuddered when he entered the game against Wigan as an early substitute to take the place of the injured Arteta. The Welshman was brilliant against Chelsea during Arsenal’s 5-3 victory at the Bridge, but the quality of his performances has dropped profoundly in recent months. Fatigue could be the reason for Ramsey’s sudden drop. Before this season, he had never featured in more than 18 Premier League matches (he has 30 appearances this season).

Even if Aaron Ramsey defies his recent form and provides decent cover, Arteta’s veteran presence in our midfield will be missed. The former Everton man has agreed to sit further back and act as a holding midfielder at times, which has allowed Tomas Rosicky to roam freely behind Robin van Persie. Arteta’s calm passing has created a stable structure in Arsene Wenger’s midfield, and he has helped revitalise Rosicky’s Arsenal career. Arteta has contributed off the pitch as well. Andre Santos explained:

“Our languages are quite similar, so he is helping me the most. He is always giving me instructions about the Premier League as he played for Everton for a long time … We’re always messing around in the changing room, on the pitch during the warm-up. He’s always saying something to make me laugh or calling me nicknames but it’s always good-spirited.” (Source: Arsenal Player)

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Arsene Wenger has up to £100m to spend

  By jtom | 23/02/2012 - 7:30 AM | Arsene Wenger, Injury News, Transfer News
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Arsene Wenger will be able to spend a maximum of  £100 million this summer. It was originally thought that the manager would have £50m available, but Stan Kroenke and the Arsenal board appear willing to spend more on player transfers and wages in order to rebuild the Gunners’ struggling squad.

According to The Telegraph, “senior sources” at Arsenal have made it clear that Wenger will have between “£50 million and £100 million” at his disposal when the transfer market opens in the summer. Despite all of his other engagements, Stan Kroenke can afford and is not afraid to spend big money to help turn around our fortunes.

I’m inclined to believe this report because it was published by the The Telegraph. Their journalists tend not to fabricate many articles.

Kroenke has yet to really make his impression on the club. Arsenal have been performing business as usual since his takeover last season. Perhaps Kronke has taken notice of the recent criticism from some supporters that has been aimed at him. After the loss to Sunderland, some fans took to Twitter to bash Silent Stan, which is odd considering he wasn’t on the pitch and he didn’t fill out the teamsheet.

If these sources are telling the truth, Arsene Wenger may make some big summer moves, but the question is whether he is ready and willing to spend the club’s money. As someone who has a degree in economics, Wenger could believe that spending huge sums in the transfer market is not a wise plan. With all of the talk throughout Europe about austerity, many football clubs have been immune to the economic times. But with the rising debts of clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City, it is inevitable that the bubble will burst. We have already witnessed a big club, Rangers, go into administration.

Still, some squad investment is definitely neccessary. The current crop of Gunners simply cannot compete for the top trophies. At the very least, we should be spending all of the cash we have recieved for the sales of Cesc, Na$ri, and others. Also, if our results continue to decline over the next few years, the money the club is taking in will slowly dry up. For a self-sustaining club, that could spell disaster because less incoming cash results in less spending.

Arsenal season ticket holders are becoming more and more agitated with the high price of tickets. The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, who published a fantastic Arsenal financial analysis on Monday, have urged the board to lower the price of admission for European matches if we are in the Europa League next season. The AST also asked the board not to raise the price of season tickets for next season.

Of course, we should not have the highest ticket prices in the known universe given our failures in the last seven years. Perhaps the board will relent and freeze the prices for next season, but it would not make sense economically. Only when the demand for tickets meets the supply will there be a strong reason for the board not to raise ticket prices. Empty seats will do nothing to dissuade the practice of continually rising prices. The board will only pay attention when large amounts of tickets are not being sold at all.

Maybe the members of the board will decide to drop the season ticket prices out of the goodness of their hearts, but billionaires and millionaires do not acquire their wealth by showing mercy.

In other news, full-back Carl Jenkinson could make his return from injury on Sunday against Spurs according to The Press Association. He played for the Reserves on Tuesday night after missing three and a half months with a back injury. Jenkinson told Arsenal.com:

“It is fantastic to be back. It has been really hard coming in every day and doing my rehab stuff, but I am delighted to be back now.

“The injury felt fine; I had no problems with it at all, which is great news because you never know how you are going to react in a game.”

The North London derby may not be the best time to reintegrate Jenkinson into the team. With all of the pressure that comes with that match, it would probably best if he rests on the bench. However, Arsene Wenger is facing another defensive crisis due to injuries, so maybe Carl Jenkinson will get an opportunity.

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Jack Wilshere suffers injury setback

  By jtom | 28/01/2012 - 8:32 AM | Injury News, Jack Wilshere
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Wilshere will be spending more time at the new medical center.

Jack Wilshere could miss the rest of the Arsenal season and Euro 2012 due to a setback in his recovery from an injured ankle. Arsene Wenger described Wilshere’s mood as “gutted.”

On Friday, the Arsenal manager revealed the disappointing news about the 19-year-old English midfielder:

“He has had a little setback that is under investigation at the moment so I cannot give you how long he will be out for. At the moment he is seeing a specialist and as soon as we know more we will communicate. It sets him back a little bit but for how long I don’t know.  It is the same foot but a different problem to the injury he had surgery on back in September. But is it an inflammation? We have to wait a little bit.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Apparently, Wilshere damaged the already tender ankle in training this week. While the seriousness of the setback is not yet known, Wenger said Jack will not return until March at the earliest: “It’s impossible [for him] to play at the end of February. Even if we have some good news, I would say that’s impossible. From day one, when you are completely fit to practice again, to be match fit you count at least six weeks. [He is] gutted.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Wilshere confirmed the news via Twitter:  ”It is true I have had a setback I can’t tell you how long I have been set back because I don’t know! I am very annoyed but will stay strong.”

Completely devastating. Many supporters have been pinning our chance of finishing in the top four on Wilshere, but it now appears that the versatile midfield man will not be available for quite a long time. Just last week, everyone was expecting Jack’s return to come sooner rather than later. Now, it is not certain whether Wilshere will even contribute to our 125th season at all.

Since the pre-season, Jack has been marred by a series of setbacks to that maligned ankle. In August, it was expected that the problem would only keep him out for the final pre-season match or, at worst, the first couple games of the season. Then, in September, Arsenal announced that Wilshere had surgery on the ankle and would miss “four to five months.” After a terrific breakthrough campaign last year, it seems Wilshere’s second season as a prominent Gunner will be ruined by injury.

In light of the situation, Arsene Wenger may need to sign a midfielder before the end of the transfer window. If one of the current midfield three (Song, Arteta, Ramsey) is forced to miss significant time, we could face real problems. Just the absence of Arteta in the last two matches has had a clear negative effect on the team. Benayoun and Rosicky are really nothing players in my mind because they usually contribute next-to-nothing and neither is all that concerned with tracking back. Both will have their moments, and Benayoun works hard, but surely neither player can hold up as a solid starter.

Coquelin, who is currently injured, has displayed grit and determination in the midfield. He may be able to fill a role if needed, but his experience is an issue. It is a shame that Frimpong had to be sent on loan because he could definitely help the squad at the moment. Since moving to Wolves, he has proven to be an extremely influential player for Mick McCarthy’s side. Sadly, Frimpong was kicked in the face against Villa and sustained a brutal eye injury. Even though he is in Wolverhampton, Frimpong still has Arsenal DNA.

Perhaps Wenger will make a move in the waning days of January to acquire a midfielder. The dilemma will be finding a quality player by Tuesday, which is a tough task considering the lack of good footballers usually available in the winter window. My prediction is that transfer deadline day will be a quiet one for Gooners, though there always is a chance…

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How will Arsene Wenger handle Arsenal’s injury crisis?

  By jtom | 13/01/2012 - 7:30 AM | Arsene Wenger, Injury News, Transfer News
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While many were calling Arsenal’s early season woes a “crisis,” the real crisis is occurring at the moment because of the shear amount of injured defenders. Arsene Wenger can either dip into the transfer market or hope that some of his players recover quickly.

At the moment, the injured players would form a better back four than the available players. Thomas Vermaelen, Francis Coquelin, Kieran Gibbs, Bacary Sagna, Andre Santos, and Carl Jenkinson will be out for the match against Swansea City on Sunday. Arsene Wenger will likely have to select his four defenders out of this uninspiring group: Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Sebastien Squillaci, Ignasi Miquel, and Nico Yennaris.

Maybe that crop of players will be able to make it through the tough test in Wales, but several important fixtures are on the horizon. In the weeks ahead, the Gunners will take on Manchester United, AC Milan, and Spurs. All three clubs must be licking their lips at the prospect of facing such a fragile backline.

There is some hope that Sagna, Vermaelen, and/or Gibbs could make their returns to the starting eleven as early as the United game next week. Both Gibbs and Sagna have missed an extended period of time, so it may not be the greatest idea to send them out for such a fast-paced affair.

Kieran Gibbs cannot be relied upon as the regular left-back until he is able to string together a run of matches without sustaining an injury. He has only made 23 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, partly due to sitting behind Clichy for a few years and partly due to injury. Arsene Wenger may have to think twice before trusting Gibbs to complete the rest of the season at left-back.

Wenger has said at recent press conferences that signing a full-back on loan is a likely scenario, though he has also been known hold his cards close to his chest when it comes to the transfer dealings of the club. If he believes that a few of the players are close to coming back, Arsene may not make any more signings in January.

Instead of praying that injury-prone players like Vermaelen and Gibbs stay healthy, Wenger could sign a defender on loan just as an insurance policy. Many names have been linked to us in the papers, including Aly Cissokho, Wayne Bridge, and Eric Abidal.

The problem is that, if all the defenders are miraculously fit, someone will be displaced. Imagine if Abidal was signed and then Gibbs and Santos recovered from their injuries! It is likely that one of the three (probably Santos) would never get a chance to play, which could cause problems in the dressing room.

Meanwhile, Wenger has had to cancel Ignasi Miquel’s loan move because of all of the hobbled full-backs. The 19-year old Spaniard told Arsenal Player: “Before the injuries, I had in my head to go on loan to the Championship but now with this I’ve not spoken to anyone.

“If they can sign someone or Kieran Gibbs comes back, we’ll see if I stay here or go on loan.” (Source: Sky Sports)

Miquel will likely start at left-back against Swansea, which outlines the very problem. In most years, he would go out on loan to a smaller club in order to gain experience. Now, he has to be thrown into the fire right away because of the lack of available defenders. Of course, this is mostly due to an extraordinary number of injuries and not a lack of depth.

The farther we get into January, the less likely it is that Arsene Wenger will bring in a reinforcement. As Wenger is not the biggest fan of the transfer market, it is possible that he may be done dealing in this window. The enormous trust he has in his players is amazing, but let’s just hope that it is well-placed trust.

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Wenger to decide on Thierry Henry, left-back loan moves

  By jtom | 24/12/2011 - 8:00 AM | Arsene Wenger, Injury News, Transfer News
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Arsene Wenger will spend his Christmas considering whether to bring Thierry Henry back to the Gunners. He will also be looking for opportunities to sign a left-back on loan because Kieran Gibbs will not return until the end of January at the very earliest.

Instead of relaxing on Christmas day, Arsene Wenger will be mulling over a move for Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. On the possibility of signing Henry on a short-term loan, Wenger said: “That’s why I have Christmas Day off – I have to think about that.

“Short-term is ideal for us, but I haven’t made any enquiry yet. Thierry is not here at the moment. It has never come up in conversation! The first of January is the vital date for us. We have seven days to make decisions and I will make a decision in the next seven days on players.”

Since the end of the MLS season, Henry has been training with the Arsenal players. With Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho set to head to the African Cup of Nations, Henry could provide cover in case Robin van Persie is forced to miss any length of time. Only a deal around two months would work, because the New York Red Bulls will likely want him back to prepare for their season.

I’m very conflicted on this issue. On one hand, it would be lovely to see Henry back in the red and white. On other hand, we may find that Henry is only a shell of his former self. Our last memory of the legend could be watching him limp off the pitch after struggling to keep up with the pace of the Premier League.

If Robin does have to miss some time (I’m purposely avoiding the “i” word), then we will have to rely on Ju Young Park, who has not exactly shined in his few appearances for Arsenal. And Henry cannot possibly do any worse than Chamakh. If Henry is impressive in training, might as well sign him up for two months.

Arsene Wenger also revealed that left-back Kieran Gibbs will be out for one month. He underwent a groin operation that will keep him off the pitch until at least the end of January. Every time it appears Gibbs has recovered, another injury pushes back his return.

A few days ago, Wenger said his decision on whether to enter the left-back market would depend on the condition of Kieran Gibbs. Regarding the chances of signing a full-back in January, Wenger said on Friday:

“It depends now on how quickly Sagna [will come back]. He has started to run a little bit. I have to see what is available – if I have a good opportunity then why not? But I haven’t made any enquiry yet, so for the moment no Wayne Bridge or anyone else. It is of course something we look at but as well it depends on how long you have to take them.

“They have a big impact on your wages as well. If you have to sign a player for three or four years and then you have three or four left backs, only one can play, so they are not happy.

“It can only be a short-term solution for us because we have bought Santos, we have Gibbs, we have Vermaelen who can play there, so we do not need a long-term solution.”

We will likely sign a full-back next month because we cannot continue to play four centre-backs constantly, without ever giving them a rest. Manchester City’s goal last week was primarily due to Koscielny’s bad positioning, and he was, of course, playing out of position at right-back. Vermaelen’s mistake against Aston Villa on Wednesday led to Marc Albrighton’s goal. He was playing on the left at the time, and made a poor pass back to Per Mertesacker.

Being the football-crazed man that he is, Wenger will spend his Christmas meal pondering what moves to make in January. Thierry Henry on loan? (Insert full-back’s name here) on loan? In order to get the most out of the possible loan signings, Wenger will make the decisions before the New Year.

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Santos Injury + Transfer News

  By jtom | 13/12/2011 - 7:15 AM | Injury News, Transfer News
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Santos out for three months

Andre Santos will miss three months due to a right ankle injury. Arsene Wenger faces a full-back crisis because Kieran Gibbs, Bacary Sagna, and Carl Jenkinson are also out.

The Brazilian left back suffered the injury during the match against Olympiacos last week. Of course, that match meant nothing for our progress in the Champions League, but Wenger was forced to play Santos because of a lack of depth at the position.

Regarding Santos’ injury, Arsenal released this statement: “Arsenal Football Club can confirm that, following investigations and subsequent medical opinions by Club specialists, left-back Andre Santos will have surgery to repair ligament damage in his right ankle sustained in the game against Olympiacos last week.

“Andre will have surgery in Brazil this week and is expected to be out for around three months. Everyone at the Club wishes him well.”

With all four senior full-backs out, Wenger will be forced to start four centre-backs in defence against Manchester City on Sunday, as he did at the Emirates against Everton on Saturday. On the bright side, the added height should allow us to handle City’s aerial threat.

Chamakh threatens to leave

Marouane Chamakh has stated that he will demand a move away from the Emirates if his playing time is not increased: ”I am 27 and I need to play. I cannot stay like this forever. I won’t leave in January but I will take an important decision in June. I was surprised by the offers I got last summer but my priority was to stay at Arsenal.

“A return to France? If so, it will be to Bordeaux.” (Quotes from ESPN)

Please Bordeaux, take Chamakh back! He has been nothing sort of terrible this season and his cry for more time on the pitch is pathetic. If he starts playing well, then Arsene will certainly reward him with more opportunities. I can’t stand players who beg for playing time when they are performing miserably. Arshavin did the same thing a while back.

Wenger won’t go for Gourcuff

Arsene Wenger told Canal+ that he will not sign Lyon midfielder Yohan Gourcuff in January: “He is a player I like a lot and I believe people have been very critical towards him in France. However, we won’t be in the winter market for any midfielders as we have players that are coming back from injuries.” (Quotes from ESPN)

Gourcuff would be a good addition to our squad, but Wenger is right in saying that we are not in need of a midfielder. The priority in January should be signing a striker.

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Jenkinson injury forces Djourou to right back

  By jtom | 21/10/2011 - 7:00 AM | Carl Jenkinson, Injury News, Johan Djourou
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Carl Jenkinson will miss two to three weeks due to the knee injury he suffered on Wednesday night. Johan Djourou is the likely candidate to fill in at right back, and he said that he is ready the challenge.

According to The Guardian and other sources, Carl Jenkinson will be out for two or three weeks. The 19-year old hobbled off the pitch at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday night. Arsene Wenger had this to say about the injury (from Arsenal.com):

“We don’t know yet but it is very unlikely he will be available for Sunday. He is having a scan and we will know some time on Friday.”

Johan Djourou replaced Jenkinson against Marseille, and it was Djourou’s cross that found Aaron Ramsey for the winning goal. But Djourou was awful at right back against Blackburn. The 24-year old defender believes he is up to the task of playing on the right (from The Guardian):

“I am a centre-back first … I love my game, I love playing football and when I can play, it’s a relief. So if I have to play right-back to help the team, then I will do it. It worked out against Marseille because I played the final ball for the goal. But I just want to play football.

“I have played a few times before at right-back and it’s a completely different game. When you play centre-back you can see the whole game in front of you but when you’re on the wing, you have to adjust a little bit. When you are used to something and then you to move, it’s something else. But I’m a player who can play in different positions.”

Two of our right backs are now knackered. Bacary Sagna, a world class right back, broke a bone in his leg at White Hart Lane. Carl Jenkinson, who doesn’t even look like a right back, was at least serviceable. Sure, he was torched by Gareth Bale, but most defenders do not fair well against the Welsh winger.

It is not Djourou’s crossing I am worried about. It’s his defending. Johan, despite moderate success last season, has been in very poor form so far this campaign. Maybe his contribution to Ramsey’s goal will help lift his future performances.

In other news, Arsenal supporters were praised for their attitude at the Stade Velodrome. The away Gooners behaved tremendously according to Marseille, Arsenal, Uefa, and local authorities. Sue Campbell, Arsenal’s Head of Travel, had this to say (from Arsenal.com):

“The fans were fantastic and did us proud. They worked with us and Marseille in advance to understand what was required and followed the guidelines perfectly. They were tremendous ambassadors for the Club.”

Our away fans have been terrific all season. At Old Trafford, their voices were heard above the United supporters despite the scoreline.

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Wilshere situation goes from bad to worse

  By jtom | 27/09/2011 - 7:00 AM | Injury News, Jack Wilshere
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Wilshere posted this picture on his Twitter account after the surgery.

Jack Wilshere is set to miss “four or five months” after undergoing ankle surgery. He sent out a message to Gooners after the surgery.

The 19-year old midfielder’s recovery will take “four or five months” according to Arsenal.com. His ankle surgery on Monday was successful. Wilshere wanted to notify his fans of his status (from Arsenal.com):

“I’ve had my operation this morning and all went well. My ankle is little bit sore, but I’m already looking forward to working hard to get fit and playing again.

“I would also just like to say thanks for the many messages of support I have received from you – the fantastic Arsenal supporters. See you all soon at the Emirates.”

I am starting to wonder whether we will see Jack on the pitch this season. At first, his injury was deemed fairly minor. A month or two seems to be added to his recovery time daily, and Arsene Wenger will not want to see Wilshere’s career tarnished by injuries. Maybe Wenger and the medical staff give Wilshere a year off and start fresh next season.

Most are predicting that Jack will return in late Feburary or early April. It is possible that he could provide a boost for the next North London derby on 25 February. Wenger and his squad will face Spurs at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

In other injury news, Theo Walcott will not feature on Wednesday night against Greek champions Olympiacos. According to The Guardian, the swelling in Theo’s knee is too much for him to play. Walcott hopes to return to the side to face Tottenham, but I would not place a bet on that.

The Arsenal medical team needs to be questioned. Our injuries seem to drag on longer than other clubs. We were told in the pre-season that Wilshere would be back by now. Thomas Vermaelen’s return date continued to be pushed farther and father back last season. I doubt that Theo’s “minor” injury will stay “minor.”

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Jack Wilshere set to miss “months”

  By jtom | 24/09/2011 - 8:00 AM | Injury News, Jack Wilshere
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Jack Wilshere will undergo ankle surgery on Monday after disappointing test results this week. Wilshere will be missing until the end of the year.

Arsenal announced late on Friday night that Wilshere will have surgery on Monday. A report on Arsenal.com said about the length of recovery: “Wilshere is now expected to be out for a period of months. Following surgery these timescales will become more specific.”

A Club spokesman told Arsenal.com: “We have given Jack time to heal naturally which is important wherever possible with a young player. The latest scans show surgery is needed. Everyone at the Club wishes Jack a speedy recovery.”

The recovery has not yet been “speedy”, and I do not expect it to get “speedy” anytime soon. Based on recent history, the Arsenal medical team is terrible at handling injuries. Until there is a change made in the medical department, expect minor injuries to turn into moderate injuries, and moderate injuries to turn into major or severe problems.

Wilshere sent out two Twitter messages about the new developments: “been in a boot for a month and the bone is not responding. i will have surgery on my right ankle on monday with the two best surgeons around.” [sic]

“hopefully i will return to action around christmas time. i am in good hands! thanks for your support everyone!” [sic]
 
Many Gooners have been saying that everything would be fine once Jack returned. Now, with Wilshere out at least three more months, Arsenal supporters, including myself, will have to rely on the current group of midfielders. Mikel Arteta, who has been fading in the second half of matches, and Aaron Ramsey, who has to make more of an impact, must be trusted to control the middle of the park. Alex Song will contribute on the defensive side of things, but Arteta and Ramsey must be the playmakers who start the counter-attack.
 
After a brilliant first season in the senior team, Jack Wilshere is set to miss a major portion of his second season due to an ankle injury. Everyone (myself included) that has been saying “Once Jack’s back….” will have to hold off for quite a while. Once Jack does return, Arsenal may have already sealed their fate outside the top 4.
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Thomas Vermaelen to miss one month

  By jtom | 07/09/2011 - 7:00 AM | Injury News, Thomas Vermaelen
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It was good while it lasted.

Arsenal centre-back Thomas Vermaelen will return to training next month after suffering from an inflamed tendon in his left ankle. This is the same injury kept Vermaelen off the pitch last season.

According to Arsenal.com, Vermaelen will begin training again in October. After consulting with top specialists, Arsenal decided to have the inflamed tendon surgically removed. Last January, the 25-year old Belgian centre-half had the exact same procedure on his other ankle.

Vermaelen’s father told Sporza:  ”The doctor in Stockholm, where Thomas was operated on last time too, recognised the problem now.

“He would not take any chances and immediately operated on Thomas. He expects five to six weeks of unavailability.”

Hopefully, Vermaelen does not have a repeat of last season, when he missed a majority of the campaign. New signing Per Mertesacker will have to wait to form his partnership with Vermaelen. Djourou or Koscielny, if either stays healthy, will need to step up.

In the last few days, Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen have fallen to injuries. Wilshere will have sit out for three months due to a right ankle problem. 

The Arsenal medical staff have come under criticism from some Gooners due to the injury rate at the Emirates. Questions do need to be asked. Is Wenger’s training regimen too physically demanding for the players? Are the medical staff doing their jobs correctly? Or is this just a terrible string of bad luck?

On the bright side, Robin van Persie has managed to stay on the pitch through the first three matches of the season, and, hopefully, the Dutchman can contribute throughout the year.

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