Santi Cazorla is determined to increase his goal haul for Arsenal. Mark Noble could be out for the rest of the season with an ongoing shoulder problem, Micah Richards expects to be back in time for the Manchester derby, Antonio Valencia admits he is not 100% over his hip problem, while Reading may have three fit keepers to choose from by the time they roll up to the Emirates a week on Saturday:
Santi Cazorla has spoken of his determination to grab more goals before the season is out. The Spaniard has already notched 11 times in the league in his debut season at the Emirates – joint-top with Theo Walcott – and in an interview with the Gunners’ official website, revealed:
“It’s an aspect of my game I’ve always tried to improve. Last season at Malaga I hit nine and my target was to go beyond that. I think a figure of 11 goals this season is good for a midfielder, but I think I can score more and improve in that facet of the game. Everything influences it (the improvement in front of goal). You have to try and improve as an individual and, ultimately, if you’re better, the team makes you better too. It all works in tandem and you need the two to come together, the individual and the collective.”
With eight assists and 15 bonus points also accrued, Cazorla currently leads Walcott as Arsenal’s top scoring FPL player by 159 points to 152. Having been moved back to the role in “the hole” last weekend at Swansea as a result of Jack Wilshere’s ankle injury, he is likely to receive significant Fantasy interest once the internationals are done and dusted – with a home game against Reading next on his agenda in addition to a couple of Emirates showdowns with Norwich and Everton in double Gameweek 33, he looks primed for a prolific next few matches as the Gunners looks to get back in the running for a fourth place finish.
Reports in the Mail suggest that Mark Noble could be out for the rest of the season with a trapped nerve in his shoulder. Although the club have yet to comment, the midfielder is said to have suffered a setback from the injury that has kept him on the sidelines for the last three league matches – with Joe Cole and Kevin Nolan also out with hamstring and toe injuries, Sam Allardyce doesn’t have his problems to seek as he looks to address a run which has seen the Hammers lose three of the last four. Sitting just six points above the drop zone, West Ham have struggled for goals and have found the net more than once in just two of the last 13 – despite having a double Gameweek 33 around the corner, there’s seems to be little clamour for their main assets, though Noble’s possible absence is likely to see Andy Carroll on spot-kicks, as illustrated by the Gameweek 27 clash against Tottenham.
Antonio Valencia has admitted he has yet to return to full fitness after suffering from foot and hip problems this season.
It’s not been quite the season I would have hoped for on a personal front. I think the injuries I’ve had have held me back a bit. I still get the odd twinge from the last injury I had to my leg and that has perhaps affected my progress slightly. I hope I get the chance to be involved in as many games as possible and if I’m picked I’m determined to grab my opportunities and do my best for my team-mates, the manager and the fans.”
United’s Player of the Year in 2011/12, the winger has been hugely disappointing this time round and has produced just five assists thus far, with a single assist to his name from Gameweek 10 onwards. In spite of his poor form, Valencia has started three of the last five league games as Sir Alex Ferguson utilises the depth of his squad to deal with the packed fixture schedule and with Nani still sidelined due to a hamstring problem, he may find himself back in the starting XI for the Gameweek 31 trip to Sunderland, given that the FA Cup Sixth Round replay with Chelsea is just two days later.
Reading rolled out an injury update yesterday which is likely to hand Fantasy managers a keeper conundrum. The Royals confirmed that Alex McCarthy turned out for the U21 side on Monday and is now “back in the first team group”, while Adam Federici is “making good progress and is ahead of schedule” after picking up an ankle problem prior to the Gameweek 28 trip to Everton. With Stuart Taylor currently filling in between the sticks, owners of Federici and McCarthy are likely to be looking for alternatives, with uncertainty hanging over the first-team pecking order in light of Brian McDermott’s sacking. Elsewhere, Jimmy Kebe and Danny Guthrie are making progress from recent injuries, though Jason Roberts has been ruled out for the season after undergoing surgery on an ongoing hip problem at the weekend.
Micah Richards has revealed he is targeting a return for the Gameweek 32 Manchester derby after stepping up his recovery from a knee injury:
“In the last ten days I’ve been training outside again, doing two days of running and then a recovery day after that. I had a big fitness session on Tuesday and I’m starting to feel really good again so when the lads are back from international duty, I should be taking part in partial sessions with them as I continue to close in on a return. I think the Newcastle match will come too soon for me, though I hope to have been training normally by then. Realistically, I’m looking more to the game away to United and then the FA Cup semi-final – maybe against United again to be properly involved again – two relaxing games in a week on the horizon!”
Richards has managed just three appearances all season for the defending champions. Initially injured during the Olympics, his return to fitness was a brief one before he was stretchered off in the Gameweek 9 home win over Swansea back in October. While his return could threaten the game time of Pablo Zabaleta at right-back in a 4-4-2, Roberto Mancini utilised a three-man defence against Everton last weekend – Richards could fill in either as part of the back-three or on the right of midfield at the expense of James Milner, with Samir Nasri looking peripheral to Mancini’s plans now.
Newcastle’s full-back worries piled up yesterday after Davide Santon pulled up with a thigh problem during training for the Italy Under 21s. Santon is set to undergo tests on the problem ahead of games against Russia and Ukraine on Friday and Monday respectively – with Mathieu Debuchy already a doubt for the next league clash against City and with the Magpies still awaiting news on Massadio Haidara, James Perch may come into the contention should Santon join the duo on the sidelines.
