Why are Arsenal’s goalkeepers struggling on loan?

Arsenal have struggled with goalkeeper loans this season, with both Karl Hein and Lucas Nygaard sitting out of matches more often than not.

Goalkeeper loans are often difficult to get right, given the unique nature of the position. If you aren’t immediately starting and in good form, it’s often difficult to change the situation as the season goes on, particularly for a team not playing in multiple competitions.

That’s exactly how things are panning out for Arsenal’s loan goalkeepers this season, with Gunners shot-stoppers Karl Hein and Lucas Nygaard both spending more time on the bench than on the pitch.

Hein’s loan has been particularly disappointing, especially as he’s an international goalkeeper who should be starting matches somewhere.

The 23-year-old played just twice for Werder Bremen in the entire campaign, with the German club failing to give Hein a single minute when first-choice goalkeeper Mio Backhaus was available. Hein’s only two starts came during a brief injury absence for Backhaus.

Hein then suffered a thumb injury in March, bringing his season to an early end.

Nygaard’s loan has been more of a mixed bag, as he was in and out of the team for the first few months of his loan spell. He made seven starts in Brabrand’s first 13 games after signing, which was a decent enough start.

Since then, he hasn’t played a minute in Brabrand’s last five matches, and his replacement Henrik Lindhard has kept clean sheets in three of those games, conceding just once in each of the other two. Nygaard’s last appearance was a 4-2 defeat.

Unless something changes for Nygaard soon, it looks like both he and Hein will return to Arsenal off the back of months without any competitive action.

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