Centre-back Thomas Vermaelen has signed a contract that will keep him at the Emirates Stadium until 2015. Arsene Wenger was delighted that Arsenal were able to sign a deal to keep Vermaelen at the club long-term.
Some of the best news of this season arrived on Monday. Thomas Vermaelen has committed to the Gunners by signing a long-term contract. The Belgian centre-half was mentioned as a player who could depart from the club, but he has made his intentions clear by agreeing to the extension.
Vermaelen told Arsenal.com: ”I am really happy to have signed a new contract with Arsenal. I always had the intention to stay here. I feel there is a big belief in me from the Club, from the boss and from the fans and that is one of the reasons why I stayed. Arsenal is a fantastic Club. We have great supporters, we’re doing well financially and we are playing with some quality young players now and they will develop, which is very good for the future.”
Arsene Wenger told Arsenal.com: “We are absolutely delighted that Thomas has signed a new long-term contract. Our plan is always to sign top quality players and with Thomas extending his contract, we have done just that. Thomas is a special player, who has always made a huge contribution on the pitch and we are looking forward to him being a part of our future at Arsenal Football Club.”
With the lack of quality at centre-back, it was absolutely essential to sign Vermaelen long-term. He and Bacary [...]
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?
Many Gunner stories to get to today so let us not delay. First off, Thomas Vermaelen will be available for the game against Stoke at the weekend. Also, Stan Kroenke stands by his guns as he vows not to do it the Glazer way. Arsene Wenger continues to warn both the FA and Jack Wilshere over the harms of overworking a young player. All of these stories will be covered.
The Verminator is back. First we learned this from Wenger: “Thomas Vermaelen is available and could be in the squad.” When the official squad was announced, the Belgian centre half was included. There was no indications from Arsene on whether Vermaelen will start. Johan Djourou was fit enough to be in the squad after injury concerns cause him to be removed from the match against United.
There were a few notable exceptions from Wenger’s 25-man squad. Cesc Fabregas was will not able to contribute due to a thigh injury. This is the same injury that kept El Capitan from playing against the Red Devils. You have to wonder if his next game he plays for Arsenal will be one of his last. Two Frenchmen will also miss the Stoke game due to injuries. Samir Nasri is suffering from a hamstring issue while Abou Diaby is battling a calf problem.
Aaron Ramsey will likely earn a second straight start because of the absence of Cesc. The Welshman scored the winner in one of the more memorable matches this season. Look for [...]
In recent days, most Arsenal fans have been looking towards the summer transfer market. Many media outlets are pushing out stories like, “Who Wenger Needs to Buy to Make Arsenal Champions Next Season.” These kind of articles should be viewed with a grain of salt. These writers do not know football like Arsene. Anyway, many Arsenal fans have been crying out for a centre half like Gary Cahill. Buying someone like Cahill is not going to solve all our problems.
Vermaelen could have made a difference this season.
Thomas Vermaelen is set to play in a reserve match tomorrow. Hopefully, if all goes well, he should rejoin the first team in the last few games of the season. Vermaelen was our best defender last season. There is no telling whether this serious Achillies injury will linger with Thomas for years. Could he be the RVP of the defence? Maybe, but if he is back and as good as ever, then do we really need Cahill?
Johan Djourou, however awful he was against Bolton, has emerged as a quality player. He is big and strong and possibly him and Vermaelen could combine to make a very formidable duo. Wenger may not have to overpay Cahill if this occurs. No doubt that this team needs some experience, grit, leadership, etc.
Let us move on to Wenger now. Arsenal fans have been flooding radio phone-ins like 606 expressing their frustration with the manager. We have the right to after so many disappointments this season. Some have called for him to be sacked. [...]
I know this is my first update in a couple of days but I have had a hand problem and I’m trying to limit my typing. With that out of the way, let’s get to some of the Arsenal news. Jens Lehmann is making his glorious and shocking return to North London. We may never see him play but I have a funny feeling we will. That is how things work at Arsenal. No way he just sits on the bench for the rest of the season. In fact, he is already planning Almunia’s demise as we speak.
Lehmann came out of retirement to join the Gunners and here is what Wenger had to say about signing Lehmann: “Jens Lehmann is a great short-term signing for us and will be a valuable asset during a crucial time of the season. Jens has kept himself very fit during this season and will provide quality back-up to Manuel Almunia.
“Jens knows the Club very well, is vastly experienced and will also be an extremely positive influence in the dressing room during his time with us.”
Positive influence in the dressing room? I thought he was a real bonehead. No doubt he is experienced, going to three world cups with Germany. Here is what Jens himself had to say:”I’m very excited to be rejoining Arsenal. I have kept myself fit since the end of last season and I’m ready to contribute at any time for the team.
Vermaelen is set to undergo surgery in Sweden on his Achilles.
Arsenal centre-back Thomas Vermaelen is getting surgery on his Achilles injury. The injury has sidelined Vermaelen since September. He will have to wait at least six weeks after the surgery to start training again. Vermaelen seems to be looking to return to the Arsenal back four sometime in March.
Vermaelen was Arsenal’s top centre-back after William Gallas left for Tottenham. Vermaelen was transfered to Arsenal from Ajax before the 2009-10 season and quickly became a fan favorite after scoring in his Arsenal debut. He notched seven goals last season, a great number for a central defender. He has only made three appearances this season.
Vermaelen has had a very tough time with this injury and surgery was the last option to repair the Achilles tendon. He will undergo surgery in Sweden.
Arsenal need to add depth to their back four by adding another centre-back in this transfer window. The current crop of healthy centre-backs (Laurent Koscielny, Johan Djourou, Sebastien Squillaci) aren’t enough to lead Arsenal to the top spot for the stretch run of the season. If Laurent Koscielny’s injury problems flare up again, the Gunners will be in real trouble
