Arsene Wenger had no doubts that Mathieu Debuchy would get through Saturday's FA Cup semi-final.
Debuchy had not featured for the Gunners since sustaining a shoulder injury against Stoke City in January, and it was his first competitive game after his comeback in a friendly win over Brentford.
Hector Bellerin has been in fine form at right back recently, opening the scoring in Arsenal’s 4-1 victory against Liverpool, but Wenger saw Debuchy’s return as a perfect opportunity to rest the 20-year-old.
"He is a French international and must be capable of playing in a semi-final against Reading"
Arsene Wenger
“It was a bit risky,” the manager explained. “Bellerin has played recently with some ankle problems and Debuchy was back so I thought it was a good moment to do it.
“Debuchy had cramps just before the end of the game but I couldn't change him, but he is a French international and must be capable of playing in a semi-final against Reading.
“You wait, you wait, at some stage you have to play a game. Kieran Gibbs has not played for a while but he didn't suffer physically too much.
“Ideally you want everybody to be happy,” Wenger added. “It is part of the job and the most important thing is to get results, for the fans and everybody involved with the club. The majority dominates the minority.“
Hector Bellerin
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