Everyone Fit apart from Diaby, Vermaelen, Sagna & Wilshere! Usmanov is wont buy another club but AFC! Bergkamp “RVP can play on the right, left, up front, behind the striker, he can play everywhere. It's as simple as that! Theo gets too much of a hard time! Bendtner could come back! England are "outsiders" for Euros!”



• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has delivered an injury report on defensive pair Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna.

Wenger revealed he was hopeful Vermaelen would soon be back.

"He's two weeks away. He is running out on the pitches," said Wenger.

"He looks alright but we have to respect the progression, you still have to give him two to three weeks to be competitive again.

"Basically we have Diaby, Vermaelen, Sagna and Wilshere out - the players who have had surgery - everybody else is available."

He also had updates on both Abou Diaby and Sagna.

"It is very good news," he said of Diaby.

"He's coming back in full training now so he is 10 days away to be competitive to play.

"All being well he should be available for the Carling Cup or the game before."

On Sagna he added: "He is down of course because when you are used so much to playing every three days and suddenly you are at home without any movement it is very difficult to take."

• Alisher Usmanov is ready to make a play for Arsenal.

Despite apparently being outflanked by Stan Kroenke, he has still not given up hope of taking control of the Premier League club.

The Uzbek billionaire has been offered other clubs but has told all-comers that he's not interested. It's either Arsenal or nothing. And it seems he is preparing his tactics.

Much has been made of Usmanov writing to shareholders ahead of next week's annual meeting to try to scoop up enough shares to push his 29.5 per cent holding over the 30 per cent mark by offering £14,000 a share. But the move is not especially significant. It means Usmanov can take the revamped Premier League test for owners and directors – formerly known as the fit and proper persons test – but it does not allow him a place on the board.

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has denied claims by club legend Dennis Bergkamp that captain Robin van Persie is being misused.

The Dutch great said earlier this week that his fellow countryman should not be deployed as a striker as he is more creative than an out-and-out goalscorer but Wenger does not agree with Bergkamp, saying van Persie’s stats prove he is being used in his correct position.

“Robin's best position is on the football pitch,” Wenger said.

“On the right, on the left, up front, behind the striker, he can play everywhere. It's as simple as that.

"He is most suited to the team and adapted [and] adjusted to the quality of the other players. In this position he has scored 26 goals in 32 games so you cannot say he is in a bad position because the numbers go against you.

"But you have to be open-minded. He can play as well behind the striker, on the right and on the left.

"When I bought him he played on the left wing. At Feyenoord he has been educated like that. I put him central, because he is a quality player."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has blasted the critics of winger Theo Walcott.

As Wenger prepared for tomorrow's home clash with Sunderland, he launched a passionate defence of Walcott.

He said: "When you look at Theo, he's a player who you think sometimes 'He could have contributed more', but then you think 'Who scored the goal? Him'.

"Or 'Who made the pass? It's him'. He's a player who is very efficient. Theo has made progress as a team player. He works very hard. He's naturally a guy who thinks forwards and is working harder for the team.

"You feel now there is a real desire to play with others, which was his weak point a little bit.

"There is a bit of a problem in England. As much as I feel the Press protect the players in the club, they put them under too much pressure in the national team.

"Sometimes at the clubs the players are over-protected but in the national team the pressure is unbelievable. In England your expectation level is too high."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says Theo Walcott must be patient over plans to play as a striker.

Walcott has pestered Wenger to play him more centrally which, could allow Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to take over the right-wing berth.

But Wenger said: "There are other players who can play in this role so Walcott at the moment is for me suited to play on the flank.

"Later certainly he will move inside."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists on-loan Sunderland striker Nicklas Bendtner can still have a future at the Emirates.

Bendtner is spending the rest of the season with the Black Cats and Wenger accepts the striker needs the desire to come back.

"In our job, you never say never," commented the experienced French tactician.

"You do always what is right for your club. If it is right for the club to get Nicklas Bendtner back, the club will do it. I like him as a player.

"It will not only depend on us, it will depend on him. But we are not there yet - there is a long way to go."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger rates England as "outsiders" for next year's Euros.

Wenger does not rate England among the favourites for Euro 2012, especially now Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is banned for three games.

Yet he still would not bet against them pulling off a shock triumph.

He admitted: "I feel England are outsiders.

"They can maybe win it if they click just right at the time of the competition and their main players are in fantastic form.

"Steven Gerrard has not played for a long time now. But if he comes back in after a good rest in top form, then why not?

"And Capello has the quality to get the best out of the team. You cannot deny that."

• Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger feels Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can make England's Euros squad.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has yet to start a Premier League game since his £12million summer move from Southampton but has impressed in the League Cup and Champions League.

"I don't rule him out. It depends on his progress here," said the Frenchman. "You cannot rule him out because he has the basic talent. In the next five, six months we will see how he adjusts to the physical intensity of the game.

“I did not expect him to be so comfortable as quickly as that so he has done extremely well," he added.

"He still needs some more time to adapt to the intensity of some of the games. He has the quality already for top-level Premier League games."