My players aren't ready! Wenger admits fear Arsenal will not be ready for new season
Posted Monday, July 30, 2012 by Dailymail
Arsene Wenger fears Arsenal will be undercooked at the start of the season and admits he has not had the time he would have liked to prepare his team for the new campaign.
Arsenal’s tired and depleted squad flew home from their tour of Asia last night after drawing 2-2 in their final game, against Hong Kong champions Kitchee.
They have only one more warm-up game in the diary before their Barclays Premier League season opener on August 18 and a dozen first-teamers are yet to play.
Unsure: Arsene Wenger is worried about the new season
Having chosen to leave a dozen players in London for various reasons, Wenger has been unable to work with his first team and has been frustrated at times by stifling heat, poor facilities and inadequate pitches.
Although the Gunners have been well received in Asia, the travel and commercial commitments have also limited the manager’s time with the players.
He claims new signings Lukasz Podolski and Olivier Giroud are unlikely to be ready to start the new season and uncertainty hangs over the futures of Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott.
The Arsenal manager plans a series of talks this week with contract rebels Van Persie and Walcott and with Andrey Arshavin, who could yet stay at the Emirates after failing to complete a proposed move to the Middle East.
Despite Wenger’s denials, the Gunners will continue their pursuit of Santi Cazorla and Nuri Sahin and the manager expects Nicklas Bendtner, Sebastian Squillaci and Ju Young Park to leave the club, which would create space within the 25-man squad for new signings.
'Bendtner, Squillaci and Park will be on their way to go somewhere,' said Wenger on Sunday. 'Arshavin, it depends. We have to sit together and talks. He could still have a future at the club.'
His preparations have not been helped by injuries either. Jack Wilshere (ankle and knee), Tomas Rosicky (Achilles) and Bacary Sagna (broken leg) will all miss the opening weeks.
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