Written by Paul Williams on Monday, November 16, 2009

As well as being fans of David Simon's Baltimore drama, The Wire, Jo and I are massive fans of The Sopranos. In fact, it was Jo that got me into it a few years back. Anyway, because there is next to nothing good on the telly these days, or maybe just because we're interminable sad acts, we're re-watching The Sopranos all the way through and at the beginning of series two; there is an episode called Nobody Knows Anything. This seems kind of apt this afternoon.

I woke this morning, picked up my mobile on the way to the bathroom and the RSS feed from The Times greeted me with the following, cheery, news: "Arsenal's fears over injury to Robin van Persie are realised... Robin van Persie will today return to Arsenal for treatment on an injury to his right ankle that is expected to keep him out for several months".

So, I sit on the toilet pondering the options, I get in the shower wondering what Arsène is going to do. And then I come out of the bathroom and Jo calls up to me, "Six weeks!" "What's six weeks?" I call down, "Robin." She replies as if I should have known. I dry myself and get ready for work and then I leave and my iPod decides to prove to me what an intelligent thing it is, or what a sense of humour it has.

My Monday morning really begins with, um, Monday Morning by Pulp. I wait at a very damp bus stop, listening to Crowded House's Distant Sun and the sun never seemed so distant. Finally, when my tube gets near to my work destination, Angel, I get... no, not Massive Attack's Angel (how obvious would that have been? This isn't Eastenders), but The Clash's Career Opportunities. Followed by Radiohead and Lucky. "I feel my luck could change"? Me too, Thom, me too.

I arrive at work and Randall, the Spurs season ticket holder is looking at me as if a family member has just died, but it's all about Robin, Robin, Robin. I can only assume, though, that Randall has been reading the lowest common denominator, make money by printing sensationalist headlines that will scare the crap out of the people affected by them sources of news also known as the tabloids. Taken from Football 365's Mediawatch section, here are a selection of headlines:

'Robin van Persie has dealt Arsenal's title hopes a huge blow after being ruled out for up to three months' - The Daily Mirror.

'Robin van Persie will be out until at least February after tearing ankle ligaments over the weekend' - The Daily Star.

'Arsène Wenger's worst fears were realised last night as it was confirmed Robin van Persie has torn ankle ligaments. Arsenal's star striker could now be out for the ENTIRE season' - The Sun.

That's pretty bad, right? The number of papers lining up to write him off for the immediate future would suggest that perhaps Jo was mistaken, no? So what do Arsenal.com have to say about it? This. Robin will be out for six weeks. Truly, nobody knows anything.

Of course, six weeks still represents- at this busy time- a sizeable chuck of the fixture list. Bearing in mind the nature of ankle complaints, a nature that I am, unfortunately, all too familiar with at the moment and the fact that Tomas Rosicky's year and a half sabbatical from first team football was preceeded by the prognosis that he would only miss a few days, it does seem fair to conclude that we may yet be without Robin for a while longer than six weeks, but let's be thankful for what we've got here.

I have to say as well, having been critical of the nature of these friendlies, I've seen the tackle and it looked to me like a good tackle and it was the fall doing the damage. Like Robért Píres in 2002 (albeit on a smaller scale), I think Robin has just been unlucky and I hope to see him back in action soon.

Talking of 2002, Randall had Sky Sports News on on his phone this morning - flashy iPhone git - and apparently on this day in 2002, Thierry Henry scored the goal that he will probably always be remembered by - yes the slalom from the edge of the Clock End penalty area to the edge of the other before smashing in yet another goal against Tottenham. It always feels good to see that one.

Big ups too to Aaron Ramsey, who apparently made a mug of Darren Fletcher en route to yet another wonder goal for his national side. I'd be a bit worried if I was Abou Diaby. Okay, make that a lot worried.

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