My head! My head!

My good friend's wedding is tomorrow so this will be a very early match preview of our trip to Sunderland. As it has been known for the past few days, RVP and Gibbs both will miss the game after yet another injury return for an Arsenal player from an international break.

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Looks like it kinda work

Well, it looks like there is still some sort of fairy dust left in this world. After completing his treatment in Serbia using the latest craze, placenta treatment, Robin was all smiles after exiting the clinic. Dr. Kovacevic will have her hands full now that there is a whole host of other players who would have made her clinic a very pack one.

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Last Englishman Not Standing

There's another new name added to the injury list after the conclusion of the England U-21 game last night when Kieran Gibbs limped out of the game after just 20 odd minutes. I do not know for sure the extend of his injury but if it really is a broken metatarsal, it would mean April or May as his return date, which will also effectively mean an early end to what was supposed to be a promising season for me.

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Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez finally catches a break as he knew this week that he could count with Steven Gerrard and David Ngog to face Manchester City on Saturday. The odds for this game can change a bid in any good sports book as these two players are available to play. Gerrard has been vulnerable for [. Click to continue reading...

We face Sunderland this Saturday at the Stadium of Light and here I am on Tuesday night wondering whether we will see something different from Arsenal this weekend. I think I mentioned it in the aftermath of RVP's injury but today I'm going to give it full attention.

Traditionally, Wenger has preferred the conventional 4-4-2 with the striker popping up at the flanks just like Henry once did and another idiot who tried to do the same but to no avail but this season saw something new.

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Finally there is an official statement from the club on the extend of RVP's injury and it's 6 weeks. That's a total of 11 matches that the Dutchman will miss. 8 Premier League games, 2 Champions League games and 1 Carling Cup game (which I doubt he will feature in anyway). That spate of matches includes Sunderland (A), Std Liege (H), Chelsea (H), Man City (A), Stoke (H), Olympiakos (A), Liverpool (A), Burnley (A), Hull (H), Villa (H) and Portsmouth (A).

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Van Persie was stretchered off against Italy.

Going into the international break this weekend, I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. It's the feeling that many football fans have before every international week; the feeling of impending disaster as we wait to see who the victims of these meaningless matches are.

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You guys know the deal by now. Former Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini suffered career-threatening injuries in a motorcycle crash last week. Cudicini, now at Tottenham, had successful surgery on Friday and is expected to make a "good recovery." Excellent news.

We at Chelsea Offside wish you the best, Carlo.

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Just a few short weeks ago, Chelsea appeared the strongest team at least squad-wise in the English top flight. How quickly things can change.

Following this weekend's international break, the list of those on the treatment table has grown exponentially and not simply from lining up for their respective countries.

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On the surface Van Persie's latest setback is a major blow to our team. Dare I say it, it could prove to be even more significant than Cesc's injury last year which ruled him out for 4 months.

We've played without either Arshavin or Cesc in games this season. Yet it is only the Carling Cup where Van Persie hasn't featured.

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There it is. I just knew it was going to happen soon. This one problem could derail Arsenal and Gooners hope for silverware this season. Will the decision not to replace the Togolese idiot come back to haunt Wenger? Or will someone rise from the misfortune of his team mate and stake a claim for his place?

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Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has flown back to England after sustaining a thigh injury on international duty in Qatar. Lampard was preparing for England's friendly against Brazil this weekend.

Sexy.

An FA spokesman: "We can confirm that Frank Lampard picked up an injury to his left thigh whilst training today and will be returning home this evening.

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Denmark's Footballer of The Year

I have always believed that everyone has their advantages and flaws in certain areas that is different from one another. Some can paint, some can sing, some can dance, while others are just plain stupid. Case in point, Darren Fletcher. After the Chelsea game, he was quoted to say that

I think we are starting to see Mr Wenger's comments starting to influence referees which is a shame really.

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For those wondering if things in the Merseyside could get any worse... we now know the answer. It's a resounding YES! Steven Gerrard converted a penalty that shouldn't have ever been given and yet it wasn't enough as Liverpool only managed to draw with lowly Birmingham City, 2-2, at Anfield on Monday night. Click to continue reading...

The battle lines have been drawn. Portuguese National Selector &Coach Carlos Queiroz has included the injured REAL MADRID playerCRISTIANO RONALDO in the list of 23 players for the upcoming 2010World Cup elimination games against Bosnia. The Portuguese Coachhas not taken into account Real Madrid & the medical opinion ofDr. Click to continue reading...

CRISTIANO RONALDO does not have to be operated, for the moment.Dr. Dijk, Dutch & World specialist on ankles, has recommended another15 days of complete rest & a return to his Consultancy to determine theevolution of the injury. If there is no improvement, operating maybe become the option, although Dr. Click to continue reading...

Worrying faces at REAL MADRID & concern from CRISTIANO RONALDOas the latest diagnostics on his injured ankle is not good news.Apparently scans show that his ankle is not progressing as positivelyas thought, thus the Portuguese star has flown to Amsterdam to seekadvice from World expert Dr. Van Dijk. This is the same doctor thatoperated Ronaldo last time that his questioned ankle had problemsback Click to continue reading...

See, I told you I'm a bit good

Let's face it. We all remember Julio Baptista once played for Arsenal on a season long loan from Real Madrid. Jose Antonio Reyes went the other way in the same deal. I don't know about you but for the life of me, I can't remember much of his performance during that season bar for one.

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Liverpool made it 3-on-3, as they defeated Manchester United 2-0 at Anfield, their third consecutive victory over the Premiership Champions. This win allowed them not only to climb in the Premier League table, but also helped them stop their losing streak, worse in 2 decades. Fernando Torres gave the Reds the early lead and scored his [. Click to continue reading...

Today is an auspicious day as the longest serving manager in Arsenal's history celebrates his 60th birthday. There won't be any lavish parties or anything. I'm betting that it will just be a quiet dinner with the family and then straight to his desk to run through Tuesday's draw at AZ Alkmaar.

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So now AC Milan wants to sue the US Soccer Federation for Oguchi Onyewu's knee injury picked up in the USA's 2-2 draw with Costa Rica. It now looks like he won't be recovered and match fit for at least six months.
Well gee Milan, since you've barely used him since bringing him to the team, was there some secret plan to start actually letting him play that we didn't know about? Click to continue reading...

While Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas has clearly enjoyed his Spain side cruise to the World Cup 2010 finals with a perfect record (and no goals conceded at home), he has spoken to Arsenal.com to offer some backing to a couple of his teammates who won't be appearing in the showpiece event next summer.

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Now when will I get my chance Arsene?

Finally it's over. There will be no more interruption from my beloved Arsenal. Well, not at least until next season when the qualifying round for the European Championship begins anyway. I'm sure there will be more international games to come between now and next May but at least it would not be for a whole 12-14 days.

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In Mo Johnston and Toronto FC's quest to build the cheapest team in the world, they invited three unknown youngsters on trial from the African nation of Ivory Coast - or Cote D'Ivoir to its friends. Ivory Coast is a football rich nation which can boast the superstars Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Eboue and Didier Zokora amongst its talented "Les Elephants" national team. Click to continue reading...

The title to this article might suggest that I am providing some late coverage on Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner's recent car accident while driving to practice in his Aston Martin. In reality, though, this article is written in vehement defense of the player, who has certainly had more than his fair share of critics, to put it bluntly.

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Who didn't see this coming?

Manchester United striker Michael Owen could be out of action for up to three weeks after injuring his groin in the Champions League win over Wolfsburg.

Owen limped out of Wednesday's 2-1 Group B victory after only 20 minutes.

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Sir Alex Ferguson isn't concern after Michael Owen was replaced by Berbatov after just 20 minutes when he felt the injury once more.
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Michael, I thought you weren't injury-prone? ... Michael? ... Michael? ... Hey Mike! ... Mike, it's only the 20th minute, where are you going? ... I thought you weren't injury-prone, Michael? ... Didn't you didn't you say that, Mike? ... Michael? ... Well...congrats on the baby, Mike!

[Photo: PA Images]

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Here's some unwanted news: Jay DeMerit blinded himself with a contact lens. Yep. That's right. A contact lens.

From Soccernet:

The 29-year-old U.S. defender accidentally cut his eye a couple of weeks ago as he took the lens out at the team hotel, and it has since become infected.

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While Manchester City continue their winning ways, Brazilian superstar Robinho is still working towards a return to training.

Robinho injured his ankle earlier this month on international duty for Brazil, and the stress fracture has forced him to miss City's last four matches. His recovery has taken longer than initially expected as the striker isn't back in training just yet.

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Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Arsenal's Brazilian midfielder, Denilson, will be out of action for two months as he has a 'small fracture in his back'. Denilson, who scored the opening goal of Arsenal's Premier League campaign this season, played his last match at the City of Manchester Stadium, will be out until the end of November. Click to continue reading...

I like Denilson as a player and despite what people said about him last season, I defended him. Statistics supported my cause but then again stats are like marmite, you either love them or you hate them.

Denilson has been missing from the first XIÂ now since he was subbed at Eastlands.

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This weekend's Premiership fixtures promise to be exciting clashes between some of the world's top talents. Sadly, though, for some fans the weekend will be about coping with injuries. Some of the Premier League's biggest players have been injured in recent weeks, and just to show the talent that is missing out, here are eleven players that every football fan should look forward to see return in the coming weeks:

Manuel Almunia (GK)

Arsenal's number one is suffering from an unfortunate chest infection and isn't expected to be fit for Arsenal's match against Wigan this weekend.

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It was really nice, I thought, to see Tomas Rosicky score at the weekend. He's been out of action for roughly 1000 years, and he came back and showed he's still got the magic, by banging one in (in vein) against Manchester City. Luckily, Rosicky hasn't joined the list of players who had to retire [. Click to continue reading...

For Premier League fans around the world, the last couple of weeks have been almost too painful to endure as something very important seems to have disappeared out of our lives. But with yet another international period finally in the books, we can once again look forward to the return of our most beloved brand of football this weekend.

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