Eboue has disappeared

Forget Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri – Emmanuel Eboue looks to be on his way out of Arsenal, with the official site refusing to acknowledge his existence in the squad numbers for this season.

Eboue is nowhere to be seen on the official first-team squad list, with new signing Gervinho taking his number 27 shirt, despite wearing 22 for all of pre-season.

Perhaps with all the speculation surrounding Fabregas and Nasri, his sale has gone completely unnoticed? Would you be that surprised? Good riddance indeed if one of the biggest clowns to ever wear an Arsenal shirt has finally left our lives.

Elsewhere, another new signing, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has taken Denilson’s number 15 this season, suggesting very much that he will be part of the first-team. Ryo Miyaichi, who was recently granted a work permit to play for the Gunners this season, has been handed number 31.

Fabregas and Nasri are still included as part of the squad, but neither are likely to be here for much longer if rumours are to be believed, and are certainly unlikely to be involved as Arsenal kick-off their season at Newcastle tomorrow.

However, the boss does not want the ongoing speculation to affect his players’ mentality for the start of the season, saying: “The transfer speculation is disruptive but not an excuse.

“We have to deal with that, it is part of our job. People come in and out. What is important is that people are focused on achieving things for this club.

“The transfer speculation, since I have been here, we have been in the middle of it. It was like this with Vieira, with Petit, with Overmars, with Bergkamp. We had that every year. I believe it is part of our job and we have to deal with that.

“I believe the best thing for us, one day before the season starts, is not to focus on the possible transfers.

“What we want today is to focus on the players who play tomorrow and not the players who do not play.”

Whatever happens, it’s sure to be eventful. By tomorrow night we might well have lost two key players and an important opening game, or maybe we’ll win and some big signings will be made. Exciting times at Arsenal, and already our season feels like it’s on a knife edge.

I just can’t believe Eboue’s gone.