I do not agree with Alan Humphrey’s assertions that Colin Lewin and the Arsenal medical staff should be dismissed for Arsenal’s injury problems this season. There are a number of reasons why I think Alan is so wide of the mark.

Each of Arsenal’s injuries this season have been traumatic, whether externally, Nasri, Gibbs, RVP, Ramsey, or internally, Gallas, Arshavin, Bendtner. An external trauma is a blow or kick which causes damage, whereas an internal trauma is a muscle strain or ligament sprain. But how could these internal traumas happen? Arsenal are the fittest side in the Premiership, aren’t they?

Well, yes they are. The statistics show that Arsenal score more goals in the last fifteen minutes of matches than any other team. Tie that in with their style of fast moving, fast passing football and they have to be very fit.

So what could be causing this injury crisis? In my opinion it’s nothing to do with the medical and fitness staff, which are second to none. It is because these types of injuries come with fatigue. But isn’t that something to do with fitness? It could be if Arsenal hadn’t already proved that they are very, very fit. So the only conclusion I can come to is that the squad is too small to play the style of game that we all love watching, about fifty times a season.

Some positions, goalkeeper, central defenders, centre midfielders like Song, use different energy systems to Cesc, RVP, Arshavin etc, so they can play more games. But the aforementioned type of player probably needs to be rotated and rested as the opportunities occur. This demands high quality cover in all of those positions.

This may lead the manager to make some major philosophical decisions. If fatigue is a major contributor to Arsenal’s injury crisis, does he bring in fitter players, or work his current players harder to make them fitter; or does he change his system to fit the players at his disposal? That would be his decision which, I assume, would be made in concert with his medical and fitness teams. But to blame them for this crisis would be wrong.

Whatever, the buck always stops with the man at the top!