Morning all,

But it’s not what we all wanted to hear.

Players are already injured, others are sitting out training…

Laurent Koscielny limped out of training with an ankle injury and Szczesny sat on the sidelines, only able to watch because of a back strain. Both are expected to miss this mornings penultimate friendly out in the far East. Nacho Monreal is also reported to be suffering a back injury which could see him miss the opening fixtures of the new season.

There is still a few weeks to go before all of that, hopefully enough time for all to fully recover….

A good few years ago now, Arsene Wenger arrived at Arsenal FC with a big label. No, not a Gucchi or Rolex, – his was ‘Arsene Who’…

That label soon left him as he literally blew the Premier League away with his ‘so very forward thinking’ way of playing football along with how to get the best out of players. Yes, even the older players went on for a few more seasons because of him and him alone….

Arsene Wenger managed todays opponents Nagoya Grampus for 18 months before joining us and to this day, he remains a star in the club and fans eyes.. During his short reign, Nagoya Grampus won two cups and finished as runner-up in the league.

This is the first time our manager has been back……..

Incidentally, one player he managed during his time with the club was Dragan Stojkovic, who is now manager of his old club….

He has nothing but praise for his old boss:

We shared a lot of good moments. For me, this was an unforgettable period – 1995 and 1996 as a player I really enjoyed.

I gave my best, I gave my talent, I helped my team and we had a very good connection, a very good understanding. [Wenger] was the boss on the bench and I was the boss on the pitch, so it was a good combination.

Practically every year I went to London to visit and watch Arsenal train. Arsenal is a team that I love a lot. I love how they play, the style and spirit of the team.

What we’ve learned from Arsene Wenger here is the team spirit and the family spirit. Don’t be surprised to see people working in Nagoya for a long time. We keep that spirit and we keep the family atmosphere [like at Arsenal].

I’m sure that Monday, July 22 will be a very special day. We are honoured to welcome one of the most prestigious teams in the world.

The special and very strong link between Nagoya and Arsenal is [down to] Arsene Wenger, who was in charge of Nagoya for almost two years. We have waited for 17 years to see him here again so it’s a really special feeling for everyone here.

We often talk about who would be the right man to replace Arsene Wenger, well Stojkovic has been mentioned many times to possibly be that man. But not yet….

Ryo Miyaichi also returns to his home country for the first time together with his new team-mates…..

Today should be a stronger test for our boys and I am sure they will again rise to the occasion…

Maybe not so many goals, but if the players get another good workout and the younger ones carry on where they left off, if should be another good game.

One which should be enjoyed…

It’s a friendly, let’s not lose sight of that…

Have a good day all….