Eduardo and Bendter get their chance

Eduardo da Silva and Nicklas Bendtner will have a chance to prove their worth after a relatively serious injury to Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.

Haters of international football will be delighted to hear that van Persie injured his knee playing for Holland against Slovenia and the verdict from manager Arsene Wenger is that he will be out for a least a month.

“We will know later today how bad it is but the early signs are that he will not be able to perform for us in the next four weeks. It is a big blow.”

Will Eduardo be the one given the chance?Too right it is. Van Persie has been in great form of late, bagging crucial goals in his last three matches, and it will be a real shame to see him on the sidelines again. I see the Dutchman as one of the most important players in the squad and it will take a big effort from either Eduardo or Bendtner to replace him alongside Emmanuel Adebayor. With Bolton coming up this week I think it would be great to see them get a taste of their own medicine and have to play against both Adebayor and Bendtner, but I wouldn’t be against Eduardo starting either after he scored goal for Croatia last week.

Philippe Senderos was also injured playing for Switzerland, but with William Gallas set to return this shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Other players who have recovered from injury and are available for the Bolton match are Tomas Rosicky and Jens Lehmann. I’m hoping Rosicky starts despite his permanent muscle problems, but if Lehmann does as well, despite everything that he has said, then I will not be a happy chappy.

Of all the young first-teamers, Denilson has been the quietest achieverDenilson signs on

If Rosicky does not start against Bolton then one of the men who could well slot in on the left is Denilson. The young midfielder signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal and manager Wenger suggested that there will be much more to come from the Brazilian, perhaps sooner than expected.

“Denilson is a great player. For me, he is underrated. He does not get all the praise his performances suggest but that will come very quickly.”

I have a lot of respect for Denilson, he goes about his football in a way that reminds me of Gilberto Silva. He works hard and tends to shy away from the media and has made steady progress at Arsenal so far. He doesn’t reek of explosive potential in the same way as Nicklas Bendtner or Theo Walcott, but the guy is only nineteen and there will be more than enough time for him to develop under Wenger at Arsenal.

Just on tomorrow night’s match, I think that even despite the inevitable absence of van Persie, Arsenal will have way too much for a Bolton side languishing near the foot of the table and without manager Sammy Lee. Gallas and Toure will need to stay sharp to look after Nicolas Anelka but if the likes of Flamini and Fabregas can get on top in the midfield then the likes of Adebayor, Eduardo and Bendtner should ensure they get the three points. I actually think it could be quite a stroll for Wenger’s team and am predicting a 4-1 win.

Before I go, if you’re after a detailed report of the Arsenal AGM that took place yesterday then check out the one from Arseblog. As usual, it’s more than you could ask for.

What do you think?

Have your say on Arsenal’s upcoming match with Bolton by leaving a comment.

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Comments

  1. Hey Spanish Fry.
    I’ve enjoyed reading your blog for quite a while now (having only been alerted to it’s existence earlier this season). I like the style and especially your recent comments about the goalkeeping situation. I thought I’d post to tell you that Arsene has confirmed that he’s sticking with Almunia for the game against Bolton. This is from Arsenal.com –
    As revealed by Arsenal.com on Thursday, Manuel Almunia will retain his place. The fit-again Jens Lehmann will not be involved at all.
    “He can go on the bench,” said the manager. “But for tomorrow I have decided to leave him out completely.”
    So now you can be a happy chappy!
    On the game itself, I’m quietly confident of a win against Bolton, but I’m not so sure of the routing you’ve predicted. We could score some goals, sure. But by the same token, Bolton can as well. They still possess quality players. Anelka(if fit) and Davies against the returning Gallas… Hmm. I’m just not sure about him at the moment. He’s never re-captured the same form he had at Chelsea for my mind. A lengthy time away from the pitch and an obviously poor frame of mind (he was upset recently) means that I would possibly be happier with ol’ Phillippe in the team. Possibly…
    Sorry for the long comment – but it’s my first, so you’ll just have to make sure it gets posted.
    Cheers.

  2. Does anyone really think Eduardo can fill Robins shoes?He’s been banging them in for his country so if he can do it on the international stage then surely he can do it in the premiership.He’s not been that convincing during the games l’ve seen him play but it is early days.I think he’s class but as everyone knows it takes a year or two for most foreign players to adapt.
    Robin Van Persie will be gone for a month and lets face it,It’s probably going to be longer,He was Adebayor’s perfect compliment and at a time when we’ve got our hardest fixtures of the year we really need that touch of class.
    Can Eduardo deliver?

  3. I would love a season when Van the Man did not get injured. I believe eduardo can fill his shoes but not as well, i think he can do what is expected of him which is score goals, i only see him play 2 games and in both those games he scored so hopefully he can score tomorrow, his form from national side must now be played for club side. WE have never really given him a chance so he must take it while he can.
    Also is Bendnter starting, or is he on the bench! I don’t know who is staring tomorrow.

  4. I think Arsene needs to use the Bolton game to sort out the replacement for RVP as the Liverpool and M.utd fixtures approaching .Those 2 games are crucial, no room for experimenting. Right now I would go for experience and that’s Eduardo. He scores almost with every part of his body specially headers. But I can also see Bendtner appearing at some point if some of the games need a bit of physical power upfront. Another option is Theo. I remember Arsene Saying Theo is ready to make his mark this season. I believe RVP’s absence may just let Arsene find that other Option.

  5. I believe that something good can come out of RVPs injury
    1) we find a replacement against Bolton
    2? we make bendnter happy by playing him
    3) Theo gets a chance upfront – VERY RARE

  6. Jay – Judging from Wenger’s words about it being “Eduardo’s time to shine”, you’d think he’ll play the Croatian ahead of Bendtner. We’ll just have to wait and see. Also, I don’t think Walcott will play up there too much, I think that’s more of a comment about the future.

  7. I’m a bit furstrated with Theo. The guy is like speedy Gonzalez,He reminds of Thierry when he runs.The way he scored that goal last year in the cup final against Chelsea was a carbon copy of thierry’s goals the way he opened up his body the finish everything I really thought that’s another Thierry in the making but since then he provided lots assists down the flanks but nothing else. I hope Arsene puts him upfront as a striker and see what happens. Arsene knows, maybe he is not ready yet. I beleive Eduardo will start for the Bolton game and Almunia remains in goal.

  8. I’ve always thought Eduardo and Adebayor would make the perfect strike partnership for playing against scrappy teams. Seeing as how Eduardo is on a bit of a tear at the moment, this is the ideal time for a Van Persie injury.

    I expect a win for tomorrow’s game. Perhaps 3-1. I can’t imagine playing against a team with Nicholas Anelka and not conceding.

  9. I think if Almunia concedes then Lehmann will get his place back therefore Almunia will be working really hard. AW played Thierry Henry as a winger for a few seasons, then the transformation happened, so just give him time, AW knows how to use Theo.

  10. I think Lehmans comments have back fired on him because Wenger not only left him out of the team but out of the squad, if he did any thing other than that then he may have looked weak. That weren’t too smart for a supposed experienced player. However I think Fabianski will be the number 1 keeper next season and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the starting 11 before the season ends (not just Carling Cup.)

    Just get Eduardo to wear his Croatia shirt under his Arsenal shirt and I’m sure he’ll score. 🙂

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