It has been confirmed that Robin Van Persie will be sidelined for Arsenalโs clash with Stoke City on Wednesday with a hamstring injury. The news comes as a huge blow to Arsenal but also to the thousands of Fantasy Managers who opted to captain Van Persie for this current double gameweek; his returns from the second fixture are now lost.
Having already fetched an impressive 13 Fantasy Premier League points in gameweek 27 against Wolves (or 26 points for those who captained the player), Van Persie owners were hoping for a high-scoring conclusion in an attractive fixture at home to Tony Pulis’ men. Scoring a remarkable 10 goals in his last 7 Premier League outings, on top of 15 bonus points and a couple of assists, the Dutch striker has proven himself as a crucial and consistent asset for FPL teams far and wide.
With Arsenal drawing a blank fixture in gameweek 28, Fantasy Managers will have already been plotting to either sell or, more likely, bench Van Persie this weekend. By the time Gameweek 29 comes around, on March 5, Van Persie should have recovered with Wenger predicting a return for Sunday’s Carling Cup Final with Birmingham. Today’s setback shouldnโt ruin long-term plans, but pessimists out there will be more than aware of Van Persieโs previous injuries problems and praying for no further setbacks. With a Champions League second leg with Barcelona beckoning shortly after the gameweek 29 trip to Sunderland, there is also the risk that Wenger may well rest his star striker should he have further fears over the fragility of his hamstring. That will likely depend on the success of his replacements tomorrow night.
In Van Persie’s absence, Marouane Chamakh, who has been used sparingly since the turn of the year and played just 24 minutes of Premier League football, will likely come in and take over the attacking reins. Although lacking in playing time as of late, the Moroccan demonstrated his abilities earlier in the season by scoring 7 goals and returning 5 assists. Nicklas Bendtner will also stake a claim however – he has had his moments coming from the bench in recent matches and will be eager to take his opportunity having been overshadowed by the form of Van Persie.
Cesc Fabregas looks set to take over spot-kick and set-piece duties with Van Persie sidelined. Those Fantasy Managers who captained the Arsenal skipper going into gameweek 27 will surely be feeling far more secure about their decision in the light of this news.
Arsene Wenger has also confirmed that another of his in-form players, Laurent Koscielny, will be missing on Wednesday night. Sebastien Squillaci is now likely to form a central defensive partnership with Johan Djourou for the game.
