Turned out I was wrong about this Interlull being the last this season, cause I completely forgot about the play-off matches. In a month another round of international games is due, which will give the players something of a breather. In the following three weeks Arsenal will play seven games across three different competitions and only Norwich this Saturday looks manageable. Sure, we're clearly on a good run (let's hope the internationals haven't disrupted it), but playing Borussia twice, Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool is a hell of a tough schedule. It will also show, what we're really worth this season, so we should be fully switched on, each and every player should.
Speaking of players, nothing short of a miracle happened during this Interlull. Though there were troubling reports of Ozil (and earlier, Koscielny) having sustained injures, both seem to be fine. Apart from these no-worries, no one is coming back sporting a knock of some kind. Even better, Cazorla, Walcott and Sagna all seem ready to join the action, with Podolski not far away. Truth be told, I'm dying to see Cazorla and Ozil in the same squad, but it probably won't happen this weekend. After most of players have put in quite a shift playing for their national sides, I think some rotation it's inevitable.
Either way, it's good to have some options on the bench and, should the aforementioned trio make their return in time for the Norwich encounter, we'll have a couple of players on the bench, who can make a difference.
When everyone is fit (unlikely, especially at Arsenal, but still) we have a big and, what's more important, competitive squad. Every single player will give no less than a hundred percent in every game, partly because there's not a Gervinho waiting in the wings but, say a Whilshere.
That's all for today, back tomorrow with squad updates and other bits and pieces that'll pop up.
Until then