Henry set to miss out
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits he may be forced to leave Thierry Henry out of tomorrow's north London derby with Tottenham to protect the striker from further injury.
Henry only returned from six weeks out with a groin injury in last week’s Champions League clash with Sparta Prague, where his double strike saw the Frenchman become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
The 28-year-old also played the full 90 minutes of the Barclays Premiership clash with Manchester City at Highbury, but Wenger revealed his star forward had suffered a setback.
“We pushed him in a little early and we need to get him completely back to where he can perform,” reflected the Gunners boss. “At the moment he is not there. He is 30% to play and 70% not to play.”
The loss of his talisman for the clash with Arsenal’s fierce rivals is a clear blow for Wenger – who had issued caution against rushing Henry back into action too quickly, but saw his hand forced by a succession of injuries.
Striker Jose Antonio Reyes has, though, recovered from his bruised ribs and Freddie Ljungberg is also fit after a hamstring injury forced him off during the first half of the defeat at West Brom.
England defender Sol Campbell returned to the starting line-up in the midweek Carling Cup victory against Sunderland for the first time since limping out of the World Cup qualifier with Austria earlier this month.
With full-back Ashley Cole still out because of a stress fracture of the foot, the veteran’s availability could not have come at a better time and will add some extra spice to the trip back to his old stomping ground.
Midfielder Alexander Hleb, though, remains sidelined with a knee problem.
“Reyes and Ljungberg are fit again and Sol Campbell is available again,” Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.
“As for the players who are still out – Hleb and Cole – the earliest for both them would be after the international break, but I think they still could be two weeks away after that, which would make it around November 20-25.”
It was a youthful Gunners side which disposed of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, with Emmanuel Eboue opening the scoring and Holland international Robin van Persie netting twice.
Wenger, though, is likely to call on the most experienced men he has available for the short trip to White Hart Lane.
And when he has all of his players available the Arsenal manager believes there is more than enough talent to compete with the best.
The Gunners – 12 points behind leaders Chelsea – currently find themselves in unfamiliar territory in eighth place but with a game in hand on many of their rivals, and they could go second with victory over their old enemy.
“I feel that we have a very strong team who can compete with Chelsea,” Wenger said.
“Since the start of the season we have been hit very hard because we have a very young squad. So we are more in a situation where you need your experience to be with you.
“When we have experience with us we are as strong as anyone and we will show that this season.”
