Arsenal’s international break is turning into an all-timer for all the wrong reasons it seems this time around.
The Gunners have seen what could well be a record number of players either drop out of squads or pick up injuries in this break, with Martin Zubimendi and Piero Hincapie the latest to break down.
Of course, such is always the case with Arsenal, fans of other clubs seem to think there is something else at play.
And over on social media, Arsenal are getting plenty of abuse from other football fans, with some suggesting a lot of these injuries are being played on to help them win the title.
| Player | Withdrawal reason |
| Noni Madueke | Knee |
| Bukayo Saka | Precaution |
| Declan Rice | Precaution |
| William Saliba | Ankle |
| Gabriel | Knee |
| Leandro Trossard | Hip |
| Jurrien Timber | Ankle |
| Martin Odegaard | Knee |
| Eberechi Eze | Calf |
| Piero Hincapie | Muscle |
| Martin Zubimendi | Knee |
Football fans rip into Arsenal as international break injuries tot up
It’s no surprise to see Arsenal at the centre of attention here and in fairness, it is unprecedented the amount of players returning home.
Importantly, it does seem like Hincapie could be more seriously injured than some, while Martin Zubimendi was already training with a bandaged knee before leaving Spain’s camp.
Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped fans weighing in on Arsenal.
One Liverpool supporter branded the situation as ‘laughable‘ and called for the Gunners to be investigated.
Another LFC fan also made a similar comment, adding:
“He will be available for Arsenal’s next game. These guys are making it obvious they are lying and fabricating these injuries.”
Those are quite the accusations, but it didn’t stop there.
“Beyond a joke this now. If 75% of them are fit for the next game then it needs investigating” a Man United fan wrote, while another suggested the players don’t want to play.
“These players seem to not want to play for their country deliberately and Arsenal are behind it. They don’t want these players to get injuries so they fake injuries before the matches so they can leave their camps.”
Frank Lampard or Declan Rice: Who are YOU picking if you could have just one for England?
On the flipside, one fan actually suggested this is why March international games need stopping.
“Next time, these friendlies should just be cancelled. Especially at this stage of the season. Arsenal have a number of trophies to win and they need all their players to achieve that.”
It will certainly be interesting to see who makes Mikel Arteta’s squad for the next match.
As some say here, if suddenly everyone is fit, then it will further stoke the fire in this debate.
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