- Thierry Henry gave Arsenal a huge injury scare ahead of Sunday’s clash against Manchester United by suffering a calf injury in training yesterday.
The on-loan striker was last night waiting on the results of a scan, desperately hoping the problem was not serious.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had hoped to steadily work 34-year-old Henry towards being fit enough to play a major roll against United at the Emirates, but that plan now hangs in the balance.
- Arsenal missing out on the Champions League would not be a disaster, chairman Peter Hill-Wood insisted last night.
In an honest assessment of the Gunners’ position – fifth, four points behind Chelsea – Hill-Wood said: We are hanging on in there, no more.”
The north Londoners have made it into the Champions League in each of Arsene Wenger’s full season in charge.
Arsenal host Champions Manchester United on Sunday knowing they cannot afford to lose any more ground on Chelsea.
Hill-Wood said: From a financial point of view, not qualifying for the Champions League is quite a blow.
“We have been planning for not qualifying every year, so it is not a disaster, but it would be nice if we could.”
Arsenal slumped to their seventh league defeat at Swansea on Sunday and could drop to seventh with a defeat.
- Arsene Wenger is demanding his players buck up their ideas ahead of the visit of Manchester United.
Arsenal now they face Sir Alex Ferguson's men at the Emirates on Sunday on the back of defeats atFulham and Swansea.
Boss Wenger said: "It is time for us to wake up and be focused — we have a good opportunity to do that against United.
"It is a massive opportunity because you feel we have given six points away in the last two games in a way that is unbelievable.
"At our level that is frustrating and not good enough.
"It is down to a lack of composure and the right decision-making.
"It is alarming because at Fulham we were 1-0 up and we lost. At Swansea we came back to 2-2 and straight away we gave the third goal away."
- Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere feels he's only weeks away from a playing return.
Wilshere is set to hand Arsenal a timely boost by returning to full training before the end of January.
The England international has missed the entire season with an ankle injury aggravated in the pre-season Emirates Cup tournament.
Wilshere is on a strict rehabilitation programme and has stepped his training regime ahead of his first-team return.
And the Gunners medical team hope to have the central midfielder ready to join in training late this month or early February.
- Johan Djourou admits Arsenal are out for revenge in Sundays Premier League showdown with Manchester United at The Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners were beaten 8-2 at Old Trafford in August, the low point of a difficult start to the season.
Arsenal have lost their last two Premier League games, away at Fulham and Swansea, but Djourou is thinking positive.
"It's a fantastic game for us after Swansea which was difficult to swallow," the Switzerland international defender said.
"It will be a bounce-back game. We have to turn up, we have the away game still in our minds so there is revenge to take.
"We have to keep working hard to try to improve."
Arsenal currently sit four points outside of the top four and in danger of not qualifying for the Champions League after 14 straight seasons in Europe's premier club competition.
"We have to fight to get in the top four," added Djourou. "It will be a difficult task but there is a long way to go."
- Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny believes the club can bounce back from two losses on the trot to force their way into the Premier League’s top four.
The Gunners took a massive hit when they were beaten 3-2 by Swansea City on Sunday – a result that saw them fall four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
But an ever-confident Szczesny is confident that the North Londoners can get back on track and produce a finish that will secure them Champions League football next term.
"I am confident we will get into the top four," Szczesny told reporters. "We don't deserve to be outside the top four.
"We should be challenging for trophies every year and I believe the results will pick up and we will at least finish in the top four because
we have the quality in the squad to succeed.
"I have no idea why we can't win away from home. The results speak for themselves and we have been really poor away this season. I really can't explain it.
"We go everywhere and try to do our best but the results don't go our way. We have talked about it and cannot come up with an answer. We need to sort it out."
- Lazio are ready to test Arsenal's resolve with a cut-price £6m bid for Andrey Arshavin.
The 30-year-old Russian has recently been recalled by Arsene Wenger after a spell on the sidelines.
But Arshavin only has 18 months left on his current contract and is unlikely to be offered a new deal.
Russian side Zenit St Petersburg are also in the hunt for Arshavin but Arsene Wenger has doubts about allowing him to leave when his squad has been hit by injuries.
Arsenal are trying to tie down 28-year-old captain Robin van Persie, who also has 18 months left on his current deal
But Wenger admits it is a different situation with Arshavin
'He is a bit older than Van Persie,' said the Frenchman. 'Sometimes the visual impression you get from a game has been frustrating, but he is very efficient. We can all have big responsibility but we need confidence for what we do.'
Arsenal are confident of having Thomas Vermaelen back from a calf injury to face Manchester United on Sunday but midfielder Mikel Arteta is a major doubt with a calf problem.
- Arsenal have been alerted to Greece goalkeeper Stefanos Kapino as they seek back-up to Wojciech Szczesny.
The 17-year-old, who is 6’5″, has already established himself as the Panathinaikos No 1 and been capped by his country.
- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has dropped his interest in Chelsea attacker Salomon Kalou.
The Gunners will now wait until the summer before trying to do a deal with the striker, who will then be a free agent.
Kalou, 26, who is on Africa Cup of Nations duty with the Ivory Coast, was open to a move but Arsenalwere not prepared meet his wage demands on top of the likely £3million fee.
The player is now set to return to Stamford Bridge to see out the remaining four months of his contract. Wenger risks missing out in the summer if big-spending Paris St Germain – led by former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti – also come in for Kalou.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAmazing how that old fool Hill-Wood talks about the money side of not qualifying for the CL and not the lack of prestige in not being in it with Europe's elite.
ReplyDeleteTypical of a board that is interested in money rather than the playing side.