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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness
Arsenal have confirmed that Rob Holding has returned to first-team training.
What’s the story?
After rupturing his cruciate ligament last December, Holding has not played a game of football this year.
It has been a long and painful few months for the 23-year-old, but there is finally good news on his fitness.
The club confirmed on Wednesday that the former Bolton Wanderers man is now back in full training with the first-team squad.
How do football vloggers afford to watch their team week in, week out? Find out in the video below…
Bad news for Luiz
As Unai Emery needed to add a new centre-back to his squad towards the end of the transfer window, David Luiz was brought in on deadline day. However, his performances so far have underwhelmed.
In his first three appearances, he has an average rating of just 6.42, per WhoScored. To put that into context, only three players to have set foot on to the field for the Gunners this term, including Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Gabriel Martinelli, have done worse. The former Chelsea man’s display against Liverpool at Anfield was particularly worrying, with him at least partly at fault for both of Mohamed Salah’s goals.
The north London outfit have not exactly been solid at the back so far this term. They have just one clean sheet, which came against Newcastle – the one game in which they have been without Luiz, coincidentally – and have conceded six in the other three. Sokratis, the other regular central defender, has not exactly set the world alight, but his 6.82 rating is considerably better than his defensive partner’s.
As such, the 56-time Brazil international’s place in Emery’s side could already be at risk.
Holding has many years ahead of him, and started 14 matches before his horrific injury last season. Should Luiz’s poor run of form continue, then we may just see the former England Under-21 international at the heart of the Gunners’ defence in the near future.
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