#squad-depth

#squad-depth

Ronan O'Gara was pitch-side on Thursday night in Paris, so he got a close-up view of France's mauling of Ireland. When he read Andy Farrell's quotes about his team lacking "fight" and "intent", he could empathise with the Ireland coach because he's been trying to regenerate his La Rochelle team for two seasons.

Arsenal are facing a significant injury blow with Mikel Merino set for a sustained spell' on the sidelines as per BBC. The 29-year-old Spain international was a notable absentee from the Gunners' dominant 4-0 victory over Leeds United on Saturday, with fears now mounting that a serious foot injury could derail his impressive season. Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that the former Real Sociedad star is set to consult specialists after complaining of persistent pain.

"We need to strengthen the squad, that's what we're trying to do. Whether we have anyone in for Sunday, I don't know," O'Neill told reporters. "We are making strenuous efforts to improve the team. I think that we can do something. I know days are pressing; that's very, very obvious. I'm hopeful."

On the surface it was business at usual at this year's Six Nations launch in a chilly Edinburgh. Had the city's most famous literary sleuth poked his nose into the venue at the top of the Royal Mile, Inspector Rebus would have clocked the usual suspects: head coaches trying not to divulge any secrets, captains quietly studying their opposite numbers and content creators seeking to jazz up their tournament previews.

I think that's always very positive, for the players as well, because that means they have to raise their standards in training, Arteta said. The next day you don't know how many minutes because the moment we want to change the game we're going to have options. In the last few years that's something we haven't had for different reasons. And it's something that, once we have it, we have to make sure that we're using it in the right way to be a better team.

Arsenal are reportedly not prepared to sell defender Ben White in this January's transfer window despite reported interest from Everton. The Gunners are seemingly keen to keep hold of White, according to football.london, with Everton's interest also not yet confirmed anyway. White has been a key player for Arsenal down the years, though he's no longer the automatic first choice for Mikel Arteta's side.

At Barcelona, few roles are as unforgiving as being the alternative to Lamine Yamal, and a certain Roony Bardghji lives that reality every day. The right wing is not just another position in Hansi Flick's system, it is the stage of one of world football's brightest young stars. Yamal wants the ball, wants the minutes, and almost always stays on the pitch unless injury or extreme caution intervenes. As a result, opportunities for Bardghji are rare, brief, and often loaded with pressure.

The return of Dani Olmo could not have come at a better time for Barcelona. After a difficult month on the sidelines, the former RB Leipzig man marked his comeback in style by scoring against Espanyol last weekend. That goal did more than just help the team on the night, it reintroduced Olmo into the conversation ahead of the Spanish Super Cup.

No, we haven't trained yet, so today's going to be the first training session with the players who started against Villa. We will know more this afternoon. On Declan Rice's fitness Not yet, and we have another session today, so let's see how he comes in today and how that's feeling, but [the Villa] game was too early for him.

I think in all the press conferences I've been in, I've always said I don't think we'll be doing loads of business in January. If we find some players, we'll be delighted to do it and the CEO will be as well, and the owners, if we can do it. But I think it's more to do with trying to have a plan where the ownership want us to have a plan and want us to prepare and do everything in a certain fashion.

Yes: they have more players and can rest ThuLa, for example, with substitutes that no other competitor has in their squad. Good rotation, the kind that allows the team to maintain its level, can bring important results. Milan and Napoli don't have the same level of substitutes, although I'd put the Azzurri behind Inter once they've recovered all their injuries. The other teams will be fighting for a Champions League spot.

One of the benefits of having a healthy roster is that the coach has choices. How he uses that decision making power is another question. At the moment, Hansi Flick is evaluating his players one game at a time, and based on performances, choosing who gets the start. This has been possibly recently, because finally, most of the team is fit and available. The results are starting to roll in, and so far, meritocracy, as manifested through the eyes of the manager, is working.

When you play in several competitions, it's important to have several players in the same position. I'm very happy I have that. This improves all the players. We have a lot of competition. The competition between Ferran and Lewy is good for them and for the team. Lewy or Ferran are both in perfect form. We'll see who starts.