More Injury Woe For Arsenal

*

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that Gunners defender Mikael Silvestre will be ruled out for three weeks after picking up a thigh injury, while Kolo Toure could also be facing a stint on the sidelines.

31-year-old Silvestre had to be withdrawn after half-an-hour in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in the third round of the FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Wenger expects the French International to be missing for the rest of January, with Silvestre certain to miss the Premier League clashes with Bolton Wanderers, Hull City and Everton. Silvestre joins captain Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and long-term absentee Tomas Rosicky on the sidelines at the North London club.

However, Wenger also revealed that Gael Clichy should be back in time to face the Trotters at the Emirates on Saturday, but is concerned about Toure, who has an inflamed groin.

“It is a thigh problem," Wenger said about Silvestre.

“(He will be out for) three weeks, 21 days.

“I have to look at it but at the moment with the injuries we are a little bit short everywhere.

“I hope Kolo [Toure] will not be out for a very long time because he has an inflamed groin.

“On the left-hand side we are a bit short but Gael Clichy should be back for next week.”

Arsenal Chief Reveals There Will Be No Major Spending In January

*

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has revealed that the Gunners will not be spending lots of money in the transfer window, which will worry manager Arsene Wenger, who is eager to bring some new faces to the Emirates Stadium in January to get the Premier League clubs faltering season back on track.

Wenger has captain Cesc Fabregas out with a long-term injury along with Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky, who has played no part in the North London clubs season to date. Striker Emmanuel Adebayor has failed to find the form of last season and Eduardo is still weeks away from a return to action to the Arsenal first team from a broken leg.

For the first time since Wenger took over at Arsenal in 1996, Arsenal had been expected to be a player in the January transfer market due to injuries and the form of the side. However, Hill-Wood has declared that even though there is money it won’t be spent on players this month. Instead the Gunners chairman has insisted that Wenger give some of the young talent at the Premiership side a chance.

Hill-Wood said: “One has got to look ahead - in the future there is probably not going to be much more money coming in. We have got money, but I am not sure we are going to spend it. We've got to continue to run the business in a sensible way.

“It may sound boring, but we are not going to rush out and spend fortunes on people who won't help us achieve anything better than where we are at the moment.

“Arsene has a lot of young, talented players at the club and I think he will probably give a chance to one or two of them.”

Walcott On Track For Arsenal Comeback

*

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is confident about making a return to action for the Gunners in February after dislocating his shoulder while training with England before the friendly against Germany in November.

England International Walcott had to undergo surgery on his right shoulder after dislocating it before the clash with Germany in Berlin, but the former Southampton player is confident that he will be back in February and is targeting the Premier League clubs Champions League last-16 tie, which is due to be played on February 24/25th.

This will come as a relief to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who said at the time of the injury that he expected 19-year-old Walcott to feature again for the Premiership club in three-months and that the injury was not career threatening. Despite the young Gunner having a history of shoulder problems.

Now Walcott has confirmed that “everything is fine” and that a return for Arsenal in mid-February is a realistic target for his comeback.

“Everything is fine. I am expecting to be back mid-February,” Walcott said.

Wenger Reveals Double Injury Blow For Arsenal

• 
  

Arsenal have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of their Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday, with Samir Nasri and Abou Diaby both out after picking up injuries in training.

Gunners, midfielder Diaby has an abdominal strain, while French International Nasri has a knee injury and both will now join a growing list of injured players at the Emirates Stadium. With Kolo Toure (calf), Theo Walcott (shoulder), Emmanuel Eboue (knee), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) Bacary Sagana (ankle), Emmanuel Adebayor (ankle) and Eduardo (broken leg) already unavailable to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

However, Wenger is able to welcome back Cesc Fabregas, who missed the Premier League defeat to Manchester City on Sunday through suspension. Wenger has also revealed that William Gallas will be back in the squad after being dropped for the City game after comments made to the press last week.

“We have lost two but gained two,” said Wenger.

“Fabregas is back from suspension and William Gallas is back too. But they are the only two. We have lost Samir Nasri and Abou Diaby for tomorrow. Diaby has an abdominal strain and Samir Nasri has an inflammation in his knee again.”

Wenger is expected to promote some of his Carling Cup kids for the game with Kiev, with Jay Simpson and Fran Merida likely to be in the squad for the European tie.

Villa Boss O'Neill: Arsenal's Walcott An Inspiration For Any Young Player

• 
  

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill believes that his trio of youngsters, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and Curtis Davies should take inspiration from Arsenal starlet Theo Walcott. After being called up by England manager Fabio Capello for the International friendly with Germany on Wednesday.

O’Neill has said that his young Villans can learn from the way 19-year-old Walcott has gone from being a fringe player for the Gunners and England to a regular starter for both club and country.

Former Celtic manager O’Neill also hailed the performance of Walcott for his hat-trick against Croatia in England’s 4-1 win in Zagreb in their World Cup qualifier and insists any up and coming player should take inspiration from the former Southampton player.

O'Neill said: “At international level, the team is going really well. You have some outstanding players and an outstanding manager who is guiding the team through to the World Cup.

“They have had a fantastic start to their group and are going along nicely so breaking into that side is difficult - and why shouldn't it be if that is the level you want to achieve?

“But I think any up and coming player should take inspiration from Walcott.

“It was such an important game against Croatia and, for him to come up trumps in the manner he did do, speaks volumes for the kid. He did remarkably well.

“He has put aside that whole trauma of the 2006 World Cup before when he was taken to Germany as a youngster, was hyped up and then didn't play.

“He has done very well, come back from that, and other players can draw inspiration from that."

With Capello expected to give some of the fringe players in the England squad an opportunity to impress against the Germans, O’Neill has no doubt’s that Young and Agbonlahor can play at International level, but has warned his young stars that every opportunity is priceless if they want to be on the plane to South Africa for the World Cup Finals in 2010.
He added: “I have have no reservations about Gabby and Ashley going into the squad now. They are both capable of playing well for their country.

“I've often said to the players the time you really want to be right is when the plane takes off from Heathrow or Gatwick to the World Cup finals in South Africa. You want to be on it.

“So any opportunity they get, they should try and utilise it. Every moment on the field of play is priceless.

“In the scheme of things they are going along nicely but it is still big to get your place in that side, and keep it, which is great credit to Gareth Barry.

“What I wouldn't want is for complete and final judgements made on a player in one particular game or in one half. That is where the pressure might build up, that you feel you might have to really impress.”

Arsenal Boss Wenger To Gamble On Silvestre For United Clash?

• 
  

Aside from the form of his Arsenal team manager Arsene Wenger has many injury worries ahead of the Gunners must-win clash against Premier League Champions Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, with the Frenchman revealing that he may take a “gamble” by making summer signing Mikael Silvestre available against the defenders former club.

Silvestre broke his nose in the Champions League tie against Fenerbahce on Wednesday, but Wenger feels that he could play and will decide on whether to take a gamble with the French International over the next 48 hours.

“Mikael has a broken nose with an open wound on the side,” said Wenger.

“Basically he should be capable of playing. But in the next 48 hours I will have to decide what we do. You cannot rule him out and I feel he can play. But I have to decide whether I go for the gamble or not.”

Manuel Almunia, who missed the match with the Turkish side through illness, is expected to replace Lukas Fabianski in goal, while Theo Walcott (shoulder) and captain William Gallas (hamstring) are both major doubts, with Wenger to take a decision on the fitness of the duo on Friday afternoon.

“We will not know about Walcott and Gallas before tomorrow afternoon. It is 50:50 for both,” said Wenger.

“But Manuel Almunia was back in training today so he will be available.”

Wenger is definitely without striker Emmanuel Adebayor (ankle) and Emmanuel Eboue (knee) for the visit of the Red Devils, while Dutch International Robin van Persie will miss the game with United through suspension. Bacary Sagna, who was on the bench for the tie with Fenerbahce after also being injured at Stoke along with Adebayor and Walcott, is also a concern for Wenger.

Wenger continued: “As for Sagna, there was a gamble on him that I did not want to take [last night]. We could not take it today in training either. He still needed to be out of impact work.

“I think he should be OK for Saturday but there is still a slight concern.”

Arsenal Boss Wenger: Stoke Deliberately Injured Walcott & Adebayor

• 
  

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has accused Stoke City players Rory Delap and Ryan Shawcross of deliberately injuring Gunners duo Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor in the 2-1 Premier League defeat at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

Both Walcott and Togolese International Adebayor are now ruled out of the Champions League clash with Fenerbahce on Wednesday at the Emirates, although England International Walcott, is expected to be fit in time to face Premiership Champions Manchester United at the weekend.

Wenger has also defended criticism that the North London club were not brave enough against the Potters, with the Frenchman insisting that the brave are the ones that play the football.

“I read that my team were not brave,” Wenger said.

“All I can say is they are brave and, for me, you need to have more courage to play football when you know that someone is tackling you from behind without any intention to play the ball.

“The only intention is to hurt you and I can show some tackles where I can prove what I say. The one who is tackling is not the brave one. For me the brave one is the player who is trying to play football.

“It happened at the weekend. Do you think Delap tried to play the ball when he tackled Walcott? Or that Shawcross tried to play the ball when he tackled Adebayor off the pitch. All the players have been injured deliberately.

“I am not ready to listen to things that are completely untrue and make people who are cowards, for me, look brave.”

The Emirates chief has also claimed that there is a history of Arsenal players being injured deliberately, with Croatian International Eduardo’s broken leg suffered against Birmingham City the most high profile example.

Wenger added: “Do you want me to tell you the players we have lost here? Diaby, deliberate foul from behind, Rosicky, deliberate foul, Eduardo, deliberate foul. Now we lose Walcott, deliberate foul, and we have lost Sagna - deliberate foul on him.

“There is only one intention when he is tackled and that is the ankle. And you want me on top of that to sit here and say, 'Yes, sorry we are not brave'?”

However, despite the loss to Stoke and the 4-4 draw in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur in the match before leaving Arsenal six points behind Chelsea and Liverpool. Wenger is still confident that his young Gunners side have enough time and quality to claw it back.

“We lost a game but we are six points behind the leaders, it is the start of November and we have plenty of quality to get it back. The same people who say we are not good, let them say it in three weeks when we are the best,” Wenger declared.

Arsenal: Adebayor A Doubt, But Walcott To Be Ready To Face Man United

England International Theo Walcott (below) will miss Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Fenerbahce on Wednesday, but Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is optimistic that the winger will be recover from a shoulder injury suffered against Stoke City on Saturday in time to face Premier League Champions Manchester United on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor will also miss the Champions League tie with the Turkish side, but unlike Walcott the Togolese International is a major doubt for the crunch game with United after limping off in the defeat to the Potters at the Britannia Stadium last Saturday, with an ankle problem.

Wenger feared at first that former Southampton player Walcott had dislocated his shoulder, which has had an operation in the past to cure a hereditary condition that had weakened ligaments in Walcott’s arm. However, it appears that the 19-year-old suffered nothing more than a spasm in the shoulder and that the previous surgery actually prevented a more serious injury.

The North London club will now assess Walcott on a daily basis before deciding whether to play him against the Red Devils in a must win Premiership game for Arsenal, with Walcott expected to be fit in time to face United.

Meanwhile, another Arsenal player to pick up a knock against Stoke, defender Bacary Sagna is expected to be fit in time for both the game against Fenerbahce and the weekend crunch match against Man United.