How many Arsenal title challenges have failed in the past 12 seasons due to injuries to their star players?
Gooners will probably claim that injuries have played a major role in them failing to win the Premier League since 2004 and, to be fair, they probably have a point.
Arsenal players are renowned for picking up injuries at crucial parts of the season which usually ends in their title bid collapsing and them eventually finishing off the pace.
However, following their decent start to this season which sees them level at the top of league with Manchester City, Wenger has taken a drastic step to help his side avoid injuries this season.
That’s because, according to The Sun, Wenger is installing an ‘injury reducing’ pitch at their Colney training ground.
Wenger has called in a Paris-based turf technology company who are planning to cover their 58-hectare training area in AirFibr grass.
AirFibr has been tested on the goalkeeper area of the training pitch and Wenger is ready to cover the entire Arsenal headquarters in it.
According to the Natural Grass company, AirFibr grass reduces the risk of injury to players by as much as 20 to 40 percent and, if it means the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are saved from an injury niggle towards the end of the campaign, it could be money very well spent.
AirFibr is an all-weather turf and it’s made up of 100% natural grass with artificial roots consisting of sand, synthetic microfibres, and granulated natural cork. It may sound great but covering 58 hectares in AirFibr but it’s bound to cost a small fortune.
Although they’ve started well, Arsenal has already been troubled with injuries in this early stage with the likes of Danny Welbeck (knee), Per Mertesacker (knee) and Olivier Giroud (toe) all missing the first few months of the season.
Aaron Ramsey also hasn’t played since the opening day defeat against Liverpool with Wenger describing his hamstring injury as a ‘vicious circle.’
Arsenal will become the first Premier League club to use this new turf, although West Ham are expected to follow suit – it could even prevent Andy Carroll from getting injured… then again, it probably doesn’t work miracles.