When the Egypt squad was named by Carlos Quieroz, ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualification Group F matches against Libya in October, there were several notable absentees. However, one of the most notable returns was that of Mohamed Elneny, who last featured with The Pharos in the 4-0 win against Comoros in March 2021.
29-year-old Elneny has been limited to just two appearances of the 2021-22 English football campaign. The first outing was an excellent display as Arsenal trounced West Bromwich Albion 6-0 in the EFL Cup, followed by his first Premier League appearance just a few days later, leaving the substitutes bench to play the second half against Manchester City.
Unfortunately for Elneny and for Arsenal, they faced a City side in rampant form and were on the receiving end of a 5-0 drubbing. Having subsequently been sidelined with a troublesome hamstring strain, the Egyptian has been unavailable since the end of August, although the timing of his return to full fitness could be ideal for both club and country.
Important window of opportunity
Since he joined Arsenal from Swiss outfit Basel in January 2016, Elneny has often found himself on the fringes of the first team, which eventually led to a loan spell at Besiktas in Turkey during the 2019-20 campaign. That was a springboard to earning a more important role with the Gunners, where he returned to make 41 appearances in all competitions during the 2020-21 season.
Arsenal made an awful start to their 2021-22 Premier League campaign, losing all of their opening three games against Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City, prompting speculation that manager Mikel Arteta might be fired. Nevertheless, the team has managed to turn their form around, beating Norwich City, Burnley and Tottenham, then drawing against Brighton.
Back to what I love 🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/b5M9fEVIyv
— Mohamed ELNeny (@ElNennY) October 5, 2021
Interestingly, before the summer transfer window closed, reports emerged that Turkish club Galatasaray made late offers for Elneny, although they were rejected by Arsenal. While the London club could have cashed in, head coach Arteta and sporting director Edu believe the Egyptian still has an important role to play.
While competition for places at Arsenal is tough in midfield, the misfortune of one player has provided an important opportunity for another. Granit Xhaka suffered a knee ligament injury in the North London derby against Tottenham, which means he will be out of action for at least three months. That now opens the door for a fully fit Elneny to get more starts in midfield.
Elneny playing for his future
Now that Arsenal appear to have hit a good form, their odds to finish within the Premier League top for are beginning to shorten, having failed to even qualify for Europe last season. Before backing the Gunners to enjoy a strong 2021-22 campaign, check through these detailed reviews for the best betting sites online, which covers everything from which bookies offer the best mobile applications, to those providing the best bet builders and bet editing options.
SBO has prepared a wealth of information regarding football betting, along with dedicated pages focusing on where to find the best value odds, range of betting markets, plus the best football betting promotions and offers. Meanwhile, speaking of offers, that’s what Elneny is looking for now as he gets more frequent starts at Arsenal, given that his contract expires at the end of the current season.
He can hit ’em! 🤩
🚀 @ElNennY pic.twitter.com/HvnTMRYfH4
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 11, 2021
Although the Gunners could have cashed in on the Egypt international, they decided the midfielder provided strong cover and still had an important role to play. The recent injury sustained by Xhaka means that was a wise decision, as Elneny will undoubtedly be amongst the first-choice options in midfield now.
Currently, it appears that contract renewal talks have stalled, which means that unless a new deal is agreed before January 2022, clubs will be able to approach Elneny as a potential free agent at the end of the season. That said, the next couple of months are also a great opportunity for the player, who could earn himself a new contract with Arsenal, which appears to be his primary objective right now.
