Arsenal have welcomed backed Tomas Rosicky to training ahead of the much anticipated Premier League showdown with Liverpool.
Arsene Wenger’s men travel to Anfield on tonight hoping to extend their lead at the top of the league table, and it is suggested Rosicky might feature on the substitutes’ bench.
It is definitely welcome news for the Gunners as their midfield has been badly hit by injuries this term.
Arsenal are right now without Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin and Alexis Sanchez, whereas Rosicky has not played since last season.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also faced similar injury problems in his team, and the German tactician claimed earlier the tight fixture list was responsible for this mess.
But, when questioned about Klopp’s suggestions, Wenger ruled out the German’s claim that English football’s schedule is detrimental to the country’s football.
Wenger told: “If you look at the history of English football, it has always been frenetic, but it did not stop the English clubs winning the European Cups in the past.
“When I spoke to Pat Rice, who was my assistant, they played every day.
“They sometimes played in the replay of the FA Cup, sometimes four times [before times were limited to a single replay]. Today we cannot. You can’t explain every defeat just by fixture congestion — the national team, I mean.
“I believe that for the Germans they are maybe more surprised as they have a good winter break.
“But let’s not forget they are 18 clubs only [in the Bundesliga], so that is four games less. And they have no League Cup, so that is a few games less.”
It’s certainly an important period of fixtures for Liverpool as they hope to utilise the home advantage against both Arsenal and then Manchester United four days after to keep themselves in the battle for a Champions League berth before they move into key cup fixtures with a trip to Norwich City sandwiched in between those two Premier League matches.
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This is also the opening phase of a tricky period of league fixtures for Arsenal also before they face Stoke City in an away fixture and then welcome Chelsea. The Gunners will be looking for a comprehensive win here to lay down a marker and to move on with some momentum when their title credentials are likely to be tested in the coming weeks.