Campbell boost to depleted Gunners
Arsene Wenger admits he will be short on numbers ahead of the clash with West Brom on Saturday, but revealed Sol Campbell could return for next week’s Champions League trip to Prague.
Left-back Ashley Cole is out for what now could be anything up to two months after the England international suffered a stress fracture of his foot, which needed surgery.
So the news the injury to Campbell, who hobbled out of the World Cup qualifier against Austria last Saturday with a hamstring problem, is not as severe as first thought will be welcome news for the Gunners boss.
Indeed Wenger feels the veteran defender, who had just returned from a long lay-off, may well be back in action as early as Tuesday.
But the selection problems continue, nevertheless, for the Arsenal manager ahead of the trip to The Hawthorns.
Midfielder Alexander Hleb sustained a knee problem while on duty with Belarus, jet-setting Brazilian Gilberto and injured captain Thierry Henry are both set to be missing this weekend.
At least centre-back Philippe Senderos is fit again following a back problem, despite the Swiss international now having picked up a minor eye infection. French youngster Gael Clichy is set to come in for Cole at left-back.
And Wenger declared: “We are short at the moment. Ashley Cole will be out for six to eight weeks.
“We will lose Gilberto as well because he is landing back only on Friday morning. It is very unlikely I will use him.
“But Sol Campbell’s absence will be shorter than expected. He could be fit for Tuesday.”
Hleb was injured against Scotland on Saturday, which forced him to miss the second of his country’s World Cup qualifiers, last night.
And the Arsenal boss revealed it is not clear how long he must plan to be without his £10m (€14.6m) summer recruit from Stuttgart.
“It is difficult to say how long he will be out for,” Wenger told Arsenal TV Online. “I will be able to tell you more in 24 hours.”
Henry has not featured for either club or country since early September after picking up a groin injury during France’s World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland at Lansdowne Road.
It had been hoped the striker would be available against the struggling Baggies, but earlier this week the player himself was reluctant to talk up his chances of a return to first-team action.
Wenger, though, remains cautiously optimistic he will soon have his talisman leading the Arsenal attack once more.
“Thierry’s progress is remarkable,” reflected the Arsenal manager, in the job nine years this week. “But we are going from day to day.
“At the moment I do not want to fix any time. I want to be cautious with him and see how his body responds to training sessions, but the signs are very positive.”
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