Just in case you missed Greek Fan’s tweet earlier, Arsene Wenger has revealed that Gael Clichy will be sidelined for several weeks after suffering a stress fracture in his back.
“We have lost Gael Clichy with a back injury – it was not expected…It looks like he could be out for a while. We fear a stress fracture of the back for Clichy. If so, he will be out for a few weeks.”
Arsenal will apparently know more on the prognosis this evening, although it’s worth noting that six weeks is the normal recovery time for such an injury according to some sources.
This news is of major significance for us fantasy managers because Clichy’s absence paves the way for Kieron Gibbs to earn a string of starts for the Gunners. Gibbs is a talent in his own right and, even more importantly, is available on a budget. How does 4.5 in the Fantasy Premier League game sound?..
Arsenal’s fixtures aren’t all that attractive (wlv sun CHE STK liv) and clean sheets are hardly high on the agenda at the Emirates right now. Even so, Gibbs looks a bargain and could even threaten to contribute the odd assist given the number of goals being scored by Wenger’s side. Armand Traore is Wenger’s alternative, but the Arsenal boss has previously stated just how highly he rates Gibbs, giving us clear indication that he will be in line for starts.