Bendtner is back, and he’s bringing proper football with him
25 comments October 15th, 2010
Absence, as we know, makes the heart grow fonder. The most commonplace things take on a special significance when missed. It’s this kind of nostalgia that sees horrific eighties shows like ‘Bullseye’ revered as long lost cultural treasures, when in fact they are, and always were, rubbish.
I use this analogy as a preface to my excitement about the return of Nicklas Bendtner. I’ve never been a huge fan of the big Dane, and yet I don’t doubt we’ve missed him. After being out with a groin injury since the World Cup, he is preparing to make his first appearance of the season tomorrow against former loan club Birmingham.
Arsene has suggested that injuries severely hampered Bendtner last season, but he did produce some very important goals:
Whilst he’s certainly fallen behind Marouane Chamakh in the pecking order, Bendtner’s versatility and physicality will make him an important part of the squad over the coming months – especially with the news that Robin van Persie could miss another month.
Theo Walcott is also back, although I’d be surprised if either he or Bendtner starts. The bad news is that Laurent Koscielny joins Thomas Vermaelen on the sidelines, so another former Brum loanee, Johan Djourou, will come in to partner Sebastien Squillaci.
Cesc Fabregas is still out. A few conspiracy theorists have suggested his absence is related to his recent comments about our lack of a ‘winning mentality’ – whilst Arsene has been unsurprisingly quick to refute such suggestions, the idea that Cesc would be left out for such a mild assessment of our problems is absurd. A set-back to his hamstring injury is more likely at the root of his failure to take part.
To hear me talk about Cesc, Birmingham, the return of Alex Hleb and more, check out today’s Arsecast.
