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- Dubai 04:32 05:49 12:21 15:48 18:47 20:04
Jermaine Pennant of Stoke City is challenged by Abou Diaby (left) during the Barclays Premier League match against Arsenal at the Britannia Stadium on August 26, 2012 in Stoke on Trent, England. (GETTY)
Arsenal could be following a script, to the ‘T’; or the ‘D’.
Robin Van Persie went from promising to injured to devastating to Manchester United.
Now, Abou Diaby might be set to do the same.
After an injury-prone stay at the Emirates, the midfielder, who has been in devaststaing form this season, until Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger pushed him too early back from an injury, might just be snapped up by another big club.
Manchester United would be interested simply from the point of view of countering the Yaya Toure threat at Manchester City.
Arsenal might consider Diaby an injury liability only to sell him and then discover like Van Persie he is more than capable of taking a knock or two (Cue Spurs defender’s two fotted lunge on Van Persie’s ankles).
The key to keeping Diaby will probably be how Arsenal fare in the Champions League.
The Gunners face Greek champs Olympiakos without Diaby.
He is now out for a month after suffering a thigh injury in the defeat by Chelsea.
Wenger said: “Losing Diaby is a blow, yes. Not only because we lost a good player but because he has qualities that the other players haven’t got.
“For example, on Saturday when he went off, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came on, took his position straight away and we lost the ball for a set-piece.
“It was a ball Diaby would have won easily because he has the size. We have better balance with him because he has the power.”
Wenger blamed Diaby’s injury on the French insisting he played in a World Cup qualifier against Belarus.
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