Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard has been accused of disappearing too often while playing for Belgium.
Voetbalkrant cover the forward today and how he ‘remains an enigma’ for Belgium manager Rudi Garcia.
They say Garcia, like other Belgium managers, hasn’t found the perfect recipe for Trossard to perform and excel for the Red Devils. And now he faces serious competition from the likes of Jeremy Doku.
They argue that while Trossard undoubtedly has merit thanks to his numbers, 11 goals in 50 games internationally and 32 goals and 27 assists in 138 games for Arsenal, he’s yet to establish himself for Belgium.
Whenever the pressure is on the Arsenal man, he can’t pull the team along. He also doesn’t step up when the ‘absolute stars’ are absent. Instead, he ‘disappears into the rest’ when he should be standing out.
That was the case in the recent clash against Kazakhstan. The plan in that game was to give him the ball as much as possible, but nothing came of that. Doku is also an issue for him.
He’s become ‘indispensable’ on the left. That’s where Trossard plays and the Manchester City forward is undoubtedly better, particularly when it comes to form.
It’s something Garcia needs to consider ahead of the World Cup. The feeling is that Trossard is guaranteed a place in the squad, but whether he’s in the starting 11 is another matter.
Arsenal set to sell four first-team players
Gabriel Jesus has addressed speculation surrounding his Arsenal future amid claims the club could entertain offers for him next year.
Reports this week suggested four players have been placed on the club’s transfer list ahead of January. Jesus is said to be among them alongside Ben White, Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri, although only a loan switch may be explored for the 18 year old.
Jesus has endured injury setbacks during his spell at Arsenal and is presently recovering from an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury sustained in last season’s FA Cup third round. The Daily Mail have indicated that Arsenal aim to have the Brazilian fit for the January transfer window as they may opt to part company with the striker if a ‘suitable’ bid arrives.
Whilst he would eventually like to rejoin boyhood club Palmeiras, he has dismissed leaving the Gunners before his deal runs out in the summer of 2027.
“I’m very grateful to Palmeiras, it’s the club I support and I’ve made it clear to some players there that one day I’ll come back,” he told Globo Esporte.
“But not at the moment, I’m under contract with Arsenal until 2027 and my wish is to stay here. If for any reason, both parties understand that we can’t extend beyond that, at least until 2027, I’ll be here.”
Jesus also discussed his injury briefly, revealing it has not affected him significantly mentally. “As surprising as it is, mentally I have been okay,” he added.
“My wife was pregnant with our second child at the time and I already have a daughter so I was able to stay at home and spend time with them. That was very important for me and it helped me a lot to not focus [on the injury].”
When quizzed about Jesus’ potential return from injury, Arsenal gaffer Mikel Arteta admitted earlier this month: “I don’t know,” adding, “Now it’s about making the steps day by day in a different surrounding.
“Obviously, he’s been doing everything on his own; now he’s got players around him, very competitive players around him, and see how he copes with that.
“But he’s full of energy, I love the reaction of all his teammates when he first joined us and yeah, great to have him back.”