The Gunners impressed during their pre-season games, and Wenger wants them to carry that good form into the new league campaign, starting this weekend when Liverpool provide the opposition.
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Although he is not a world class defender, the Brazilian was expected to play in Starting XI in the absence of Koscielny and Mertesacker.
There has been talk that Arsenal could buy a centerback, but they haven’t appeared to be especially motivated to do so and there are no reports that they are close to a deal for a defender.
With Per Mertesacker already ruled out until mid-December with a knee injury, Arsene Wenger admitted he was desperate to sign another centre-half.
The Arsenal boss said: “Where you could approximately value a player before, today the identity of a club that comes in for a transfer is far more important than the rest”.
He said: “Arsenal CB Gabriel out 6/8 weeks – ankle sprain”.
Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny are yet to regain their match fitness after taking an extended break following on from their Euro 2016 exertions.
“Most of the time, the injuries happen in the same sector”.
“He has a very big year ahead, I must say his preparation was encouraging”, Wenger said at the Premier League new season launch on Wednesday morning, as quoted by Sky Sports’ live blog (7.24am). Unfortunately for the club, it isn’t just the defence that needs to be improved, so any plans Wenger might have are now even more complicated and urgent.
“Let’s give him 15-20 games in the Premier League, they’re tough games”.
“It’s not so much but it’s harder than ever to convince people you can buy good players at a reasonable price, and that the quality is necessarily linked with the amount of money in people’s minds”.
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Wenger also has the option of moving Nacho Monreal into the middle and playing Kieran Gibbs at left-back.
