It’s been a long journey back for Aaron Ramsey. In February of this year he suffered a double fracture in his lower right leg after a ‘tough tackle’ from Stoke City’s Ryan Shawcross. He had a convalescence period of about 8 months before returning to training in mid-October. A month later he played 45 minutes of football for the Arsenal reserves against Wolves.
Two days later Arsenal agreed to loan Ramsey out to Nottingham Forest so that the young Welshman could regain his match fitness and his sharpness. He is, it seems, well on the road to recovery. He has made three substitute appearances for Forest without suffering any difficulties.
Disappointingly however, Ramsey hasn’t had as much game time as Arsenal and Forest may have hoped. The winter chill has caused a number of delays and postponements to games in the lower leagues which in turn has led to a lack of opportunity for Aaron Ramsey. The loan deal is set to expire on the 3rd of January, but Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies is keen to attempt to extend the loan deal.
There’s every chance, however, that Ramsey will be back in an Arsenal shirt by the start of the New Year. He will rejoin an Arsenal side full of talented young players and will be competing in Arsenal’s already congested midfield. This raises the question of whether Ramsey will be able to find his form given that opportunities for him to impress might be rare.
Jack Wilshere has already proven this season that if you’re good enough to play, age doesn’t really matter at Arsenal. Thanks to Cesc Fabregas’ hamstring problems this season, Wilshere has found himself playing much more than even he must have hoped for. Yet, he has earned his place on the pitch. He works hard, gets stuck in and is more than capable of getting involved in Arsenal’s passing game. As a result of Wilshere’s rise to prominence, the likes of Denilson and Diaby have struggled to get game time this season.
Given that Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song when they are fit are nailed on starters, the biggest obstacle to Ramsey’s development may be Wilshere himself. If both Ramsey and Wilshere impress, will Wenger rotate the pair every few games? Will Ramsey be a Carling Cup / FA Cup player for the Gunners whilst Wilshere does the business in the Premier League and the Champions League?
The truth of the matter is, out of the latest batch of Arsenal youngsters, Ramsey and Wilshere are the two most impressive players. As such, Arsenal must do everything they can to ensure that they develop to the best of their ability. Cesc Fabregas will eventually move onto Barcelona leaving the future of Arsenal’s centre-midfield at Ramsey’s and Wilshere’s feet.
Arsene Wenger faces a tough task in developing two spectacularly talented youngsters to play in the same position. It’s a delicate balancing act, but if anybody can do it, Wenger can.
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