PREMIER LEAGUE MANAGERS COUNTING COST OF INTERNATIONAL GAMES
MANCHESTER: The final round of international fixtures this year did no favours for managers at some of the English Premier League’s title hopefuls.
José Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, in particular, will vouch for that ahead of the renewal of their often heated coaching rivalry.
When Mourinho’s Manchester United and Wenger’s Arsenal meet at Old Trafford today for the standout game in the 12th round of matches, there could be some major names missing because of injuries sustained on international duty.
United captain Wayne Rooney has caused a furore by being photographed looking bleary-eyed alongside some guests at a wedding party taking place at the England team hotel last Saturday. But by then he’d picked up a knee injury during England’s 3-0 win over Scotland the night before, causing him to miss Tuesday’s match against Spain, and Rooney is now doubtful for the Arsenal game.
It was the last thing Mourinho would have wanted, considering he is already without suspended striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and centre-backs Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling, as well as having serious doubts over the fitness of midfielder Marouane Fellaini and full-backs Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia.
Wenger, meanwhile, will ask Alexis Sanchez for an honest assessment of his fitness after Arsenal’s star forward sustained a hamstring injury while away with Chile. Sanchez missed a draw against Colombia, but returned for the 3-1 win over Uruguay on Tuesday, although his right leg was heavily strapped for the match.
Sanchez wasn’t due to return to Arsenal’s training base until yesterday, and the match against United is a lunchtime kick-off today.
“What I will consider is the risk of injury because he played while recovering from a hamstring injury,” Wenger said this week.
“I’ll consider the way he feels as well. On that front you depend on the honesty of the player, how they feel and how they recover.”
Wenger will be careful about overloading Sanchez, who has scored eight goals for Arsenal this season from his new position as converted striker.
This time last year Sanchez picked up a hamstring injury after a gruelling run of back-to-back games for club and country, and ended up missing the next two months, which proved to be a huge blow to Arsenal’s title hopes.
Injuries
Arsenal will play Paris Saint-Germain in a big Champions League game on Wednesday too.
Liverpool and Chelsea, the Premier League’s top two, could also be counting the cost of the recent international games after injuries to key players.
Adam Lallana, one of Liverpool’s quartet of sprightly forwards who has been in devastating form this season, hobbled off during England’s game against Spain and is a doubt for the leaders’ trip to Southampton.
As for second-placed Chelsea, Diego Costa was ruled out of both of Spain’s games during the break because of a groin injury, and Eden Hazard limped off during Belgium’s 8-1 win over Estonia with an apparent calf injury.
It isn’t yet clear if either Costa or Hazard – the scorers of 15 league goals between them – will be fit for Chelsea’s match at Middlesbrough.
Here’s what else to look out for this weekend:
CRYSTAL PALACE v MAN CITY
Palace have conceded 10 goals in their past three games and haven’t kept a clean sheet in the league all season. In terms of points per game (0.73), Alan Pardew’s side are the worst-performing team across England’s four leagues this calendar year.
Probably, then, the last team Palace would want to see arriving at Selhurst Park today are Pep Guardiola’s free-scoring Manchester City side. Star striker Sergio Aguero will be raring to go for City, having failed to start for Argentina in either of their World Cup qualifying games over the international break. WATFORD v LEICESTER
Leicester can clinch qualification to the knockout round of the Champions League on Tuesday, but the players would be wise not to look that far ahead this weekend.
The Premier League champions head to Watford just two points above the relegation zone, having lost at home to West Bromwich Albion in the last game before the international break.
Leicester will be boosted by leading striker Jamie Vardy ending his run of 14 games without a goal for club or country by scoring for England against Spain. Vardy scored 24 league goals last season, but has only two so far this season. – AP