Further to the release of next season’s squad numbers yesterday, a full list with comments where relevant…

1. Manuel ALMUNIA (was Jens’ old number of course)
2. Abou DIABY
3. Bacary SAGNA
4. Francesc FABREGAS
5. Kolo TOURE
6. Philippe SENDEROS
7. Tomas ROSICKY (will this shirt remain on the treatment table again?)
8. ………. used very briefly by Diarra but the last full time owner of this shirt was Freddie
9. EDUARDO
10. William GALLAS
11. Robin VAN PERSIE
12. Carlos VELA (new in at number 12 wearing the squad number last used by Lauren)
13. Alexander HLEB (Good news? Bad news? Bullshit, bluff or double bluff - on no account put this on a new shirt yet)
14. ………. not used last season, it was of course Henry’s old number
15. DENILSON
16. Aaron RAMSEY (gets to wear Flamini’s number from last season)
17. Alexandre SONG (I think we’ll see a lot more of the 17 shirt this season)
18. ………. not used last season and last used by Cygan, so probably no one wants this number.
19. GILBERTO
20. Johan DJOUROU
21. Lukasz FABIANSKI
22. Gael CLICHY
23. ………. this shirt number has not been used since Sol left for Pompey
24. Vito MANNONE (Vito was the number 40 last season - Almunia had 24 previously - so no new keeper then it seems)
25. Emmanuel ADEBAYOR (don’t on any account buy a 25 shirt with this name on the back just yet though)
26. Nicklas BENDTNER
27. Emmanuel EBOUE
28. ………. not used since Kolo Toure upgraded his squad number
29. ………. not used since Seb Larsson had it on his back for a season
30. Armand TRAORE
31. Justin HOYTE
32. Theo WALCOTT (why not lower in the pecking order?)

No numbers yet for any of the youngsters who will be training with the first team - Lansbury, Barazite, Merida, Randall etc etc