Arsenal take on Watford FC in the English Premier League next weekend and defender Rob Holding could start for the first time this season.
Rob Holding ruptured his cruciate ligament in December of last year and since then the central defender has been out of the squad, recovering.
Initially, it was claimed the defender could miss even the first half of the 2019-20 season but now it looks like he is more than ready to make a comeback.
A Reddit user has written that he bumped into Callum Chambers and Rob Holding at an airport where the latter told him that he was ready to play.
Met Chambers and Holding in Luton Airport. Holding says he’s ready to play from Gunners
Rob Holding has so far missed 37 games across all competitions for Arsenal ever since he picked up the injury but it’s highly likely that he will be named in the matchday squad when the Gunners take on Watford.
So far the 23-year-old has featured in two Premier League 2 games this season meaning he is fit enough to play vs the Hornets next weekend.
But what remains to be seen is whether the manager would risk playing Rob Holding since Sokratis and David Luiz have formed a decent enough partnership in central defence during the first four matches of the season.
While some fans do not want the manager to tinker with the current formation, experts though have a different view.
According to them, the manager used Rob Holding as Arsenal’s first-choice defender and now that he is fit and available for selection, Emery would want to bring him back to the starting XI as soon as possible.
And if Rob Holding does return back to the central defence then surely it would be Sokratis who would move fall down the pecking order while David Luiz keeps his place.
VERDICT:
Rob Holding is obviously fit enough to make a return next weekend but we believe the manager might not risk playing him since Arsenal would be playing away from home and Emery would want the 23-year-old to make a comeback in a home game.
