Emile Smith Rowe – so much potential, so much promise, a major talent for the future. Sound familiar? Well, it should because that’s what they said about Arsenal fan-favorite Jack Wilshere, who spluttered through his Arsenal career with one injury after another.
The body couldn’t quite meet the potential and Arsenal eventually admitted defeat by releasing him to do the same at West Ham.
Fans are starting to ask if it’s a case of history repeating itself with Emile Smith Rowe because he has sustained injuries fairly frequently in the last few seasons, raising questions about his durability.
His loan spell last term at RB Leipzig was disrupted by injury and he has now been a concern at Huddersfield with a back problem which saw him subbed after 70 minutes against Charlton. Early signs are that it’s not serious but that’s only the initial assessment and the player will no doubt be tested for at least the next game.
A groin strain and abductor muscle injury are hardly enough to sound the alarms but he has had an injury every season since 2018. It may just be that his body needs to develop and become stronger because of his age (19) but his coaches will need to keep a keen eye on his condition and ensure that he is allowed sufficient time to recover.
The midfielder has attracted praise since his loan to the Championship side, having netted one goal. provided three assists in just nine appearances.
Smith Rowe is a technically gifted player, with the ability to get forward but also to deliver a devastating pass into space. He is certainly the attacking and creative midfielder that Arsenal need but he lacks confidence in his own ability and hasn’t yet achieved the all-important consistency.
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Should Smith Rowe’s body embark on the usual changes of a 20 something and become more robust, Arsenal will have one hell of a player.
Hopefully, we will see the emergence of a homegrown superstar at the Emirates and at the international level as well. Something we thought we had with Wilshere but which sadly turned out to be a figment of our imagination and expectation.
