Arsenal boss Unai Emery has admitted that Denis Suarez is still not ready to play an entire 90-minute match and Gunners fans are not happy with the state of affairs, with a huge north London derby looming on Saturday. The midfielder arrived from Barcelona on deadline day in a loan deal which will see him stay at least until the end of the season.
Suarez, 25, has seen just 66 minutes of action since the protracted deal to bring him to the Emirates was agreed in January.
While he has yet to start a game for Arsenal, Emery could select him for tomorrow’s clash with Bournemouth but the former Sevilla and Paris St-Germain manager says there no hope of Suarez completing the full game.
“I am very demanding of myself to find the best performance with the players,” he said. “I think Denis Suarez is improving first with the adaptation every day and then his quality can give us a lot. I think it’s not OK today to play 90 minutes because he needs rhythm, but one possibility is to start tomorrow knowing that. Or, stay on the bench and after he can help us.”
Arsenal fans are baffled as to how Suarez is still not up to speed given that he will have been at the club for four weeks on Friday. One wrote on Twitter: “Is anyone else wondering what’s going on with Suarez and Emery? How can he still not be match fit??” Another added: “Starting to wonder if I’ll live long enough to see Suarez play a full 90 for Arsenal!”
A third was critical of Emery’s decision to sign Suarez while £350,000-a-week star Mesut Ozil sits on the bench. “Signing Suarez whilst Ozil can’t get on the bench some weeks is embarrassing,” they tweeted.
A fourth Gooner gave a brutal assessment of the chances of Arsenal making the Suarez deal permanent. They posted: “Lol why the hell would #afc even think of paying 20m for Denis Suárez when we can bring back Reiss Nelson for free?”
Arsenal are pursuing a move for Lille winger Nicolas Pepe in the summer and Monchi is reportedly keen on the deal too. The Goners are pursuing a move for Lille winger Nicolas Pepe in the summer and Monchi is reportedly keen on the deal too. I see him as good with a team that plays all in red and likes to put wingers on the side of their weaker feet.”