It has been a tough couple of days for Arsenal who blew a chance to move to first place and now have to deal with the fact that their main goal man might become unavailable for some time. Apparently, Alexis Sanchez could be suffering from a calf muscle tear which came as a result of his recent efforts for Chile. The Chilean is known for pushing himself way too hard even though his health state is not 100%.  What is even more ironic is that a couple of days back Wenger warned Sanchez to take it easy.

At first glance the Chilean medical team refrained from delivering a concise answer as reported by ESPN: “The medical staff of Chile’s national team would like to inform that Alexis Sanchez has a low-grade muscle injury. He will remain in Santiago, under treatment and his participation for Chile against Uruguay will be evaluated.”

While Walcott is not far behind in terms of goals, there is still so much Arsenal will miss if Sanchez is injured for long. He has created the most chances on goal for the Gunners and has contributed to the long positive winning streak during this season.

Fortunately for Wenger, he has an alternative in Olivier Giroud who has also shown excellent form lately. After recovering from a toe injury, the Frenchman has left his mark on several key games and has maintained steady form. He will probably take on the role of striker for the next games if it is decided that Sanchez has serious muscle damage. Unlike Sanchez, the Frenchman does not have the same ability to cover the entire length of the pitch and also is more of a target man. It will be tough for the team to adapt but on the other hand it might be good for Giroud who recently stated he misses playing as a team regular. According to the Daily Star he even began to consider his future at the Emirates as his contract is set to expire in 2018:

“I have not knocked on Arsene’s office. We’ll see, I’m not worried, my time will come.

He’s always supported me in the difficult times and I have every confidence he’ll keep doing so.

I’ll fight for my place. What’s happening today is the story of my career. It’s endless in football.

I’m not the kind of player to give up and to demand things.

Even if I don’t play all the matches, I’m sure the coach will use me. We’ll take stock at the end of the season.”

Honestly, all things considered, this striker should stay with the Gunners. It is true that he sometimes lacks consistency but he will be very hard to replace. Wenger needs to find a way to convince Giroud to extend his contract and maybe this is a good moment for him to start negotiations