Arsenal: Jack back, Sagna goes, Giroud benched

Bacary Sagna is set to be the next piece of ‘good business’ at the Emirates. 

Not because he is not needed or cannot play. 

That has never decided an Arsenal sale. 

However, the final piece in Arsenal’s great new side is back to full training this week. 

Midfielder Jack Wilshere is back and should Sagna continue his rumblings and mumblings about manager Arsene Wenger’s policies, the return of Wilshere will give an already impressive midfield - Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta, Abou Diaby, Aaron Ramsey, Francis Coquelin, with Tomas Rosicky and Emmanuel Frimpong to come. 

The British press today reported that Wilshere could now play in a friendly or for the Gunners U-21s. 

Wenger, meanwhile, seems to have taken a leaf out of arch-rival Sir Alex Ferguson’s training manual and decided to pile the pressure on an already-struggling Olivier Giroud. 

When a manager says sometimes a breather is good, a striker knows that means extended bench time. 

And a bench is the last place a striker wants to be when he is looking for his first goal. 

Giroud has yet to find the net since joining Arsenal from Montpellier and even when the Gunners won 6-1 against Southampton, he failed to score. 

“I felt that he is under much pressure at the moment and sometimes to get a little breather is good,” Wenger said, “I just felt that the time has come for him to not be under too much pressure.” 

Tomorrow Arsenal travel to Montpellier in the Champions League. 

This leaves us with Wenger’s view of Arsenal’s title chances and two upcoming games that will probably decide that.

Next Sunday it’s a trip to the Etihad against title-holders Manchester City.

Then, a Capital One Cup clash against  Coventry followed by the visit of European champions Chelsea to the Emirates. 

Wenger said: “We will know after 10 games if we have a chance to win the league - I think we have a chance.” 

“I don't know how strong our opponents are. We've not played against any of the title contenders yet.” 

Lukas Podolski is Arsenal’s new strike force and he followed up a goal at Liverpool with an excellent 25-yard free-kick against Southampton. 

City and Chelsea will be his true test.
 

JACK IS BACK

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