Danny Welbeck has paid a heavy price for the decision at the end of last season to treat his knee injury without surgery, and the Arsenal striker is now out for at least three months after undergoing an operation on Wednesday.
Welbeck last played for Arsenal on 26 April against Chelsea, and there was the question in May of whether surgery or rest and rehabilitation work would be the best solution, with the club deciding upon the latter course.
With the benefit of hindsight, it has proved to be the wrong choice, as Welbeck missed the whole of pre-season and the opening weeks of the new campaign before it became clear his cartilage was unable to bear the strain of greater intensity in training.
Arsenal said in a statement they knew last week Welbeck would need the operation, which would render him a long-term casualty – in other words, before the closure of the summer transfer deadline on Tuesday of this week.
But Arsène Wenger chose not to add to his options up front with even a temporary signing, as he was happy with Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Alexis Sánchez and Joel Campbell. The manager had explored the possibility of taking Karim Benzema from Real Madrid but the France centre-forward did not want to leave the Bernabéu.
Welbeck’s operation was relatively simple, and he was in and out of hospital on the day but the repercussions are grave.
“Danny Welbeck has undergone surgery on his left knee after being unable to sufficiently step up his rehabilitation work,” Arsenal’s statement said. “The striker has been working throughout the summer to recover from the injury sustained at the end of April.
“It had been hoped he would avoid surgery but, after increasing his training workload, the injury to his cartilage did not respond as well as hoped and the decision was taken last week for him to undergo surgery by a leading specialist in the field. Danny is now expected to be out for a period of months and everyone at Arsenal wishes him well.”
Wenger spoke on Wednesday about the difficulties of the current transfer market, declaring himself content with Arsenal’s business this summer.
“Am I happy with the investment I make? Yes, every time. I bought Sánchez, I bought Özil, I bought Cech, I bought Gabriel last year … But when you have to invest you have to find the players to invest in … The problem at the moment is finding the players that guarantee you are a better team afterwards.”
The Frenchman pointed to Manchester United’s decision to pay Monaco an initial £36m for the 19-year-old Anthony Martial, making him British football’s most expensive teenager.
“What happened with Monaco, who sold Martial to Manchester United for €80m, I’ve heard … Martial scored 11 goals in the French championship – that sums it up well. That means it’s not the money that’s missing at the moment, it’s not the desire of investment that is missing, it’s the number of players available who can strengthen the big clubs.”
The midfielder Jack Wilshere continues his recovery from a hairline fracture in the left fibula and could be back in contention when domestic action resumes at home to Stoke City on 12 September.