Wenger admits he has never been keen on the idea of his £7.5m star making such arduous journeys for matches.

This time Bergkamp would have to leave early to be sure of linking-up with his team-mates for training in Munich's Olympic Stadium on Tuesday.

And if Wenger agrees to Bergkamp's car plan, it would be a complete reversal of the manager's decision three weeks ago when the 31-year-old striker was ordered to stay at home and rest for the following weekend's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Chelsea rather than take a 10-hour car trip to Lyon for Arsenal's 1-0 win over the French side.

It sparked controversy with suggestions that Bergkamp had rejected another option to travel to France by train.

That theory proved unfounded but nevertheless cast a shadow over the relationship between the player and his manager.

But now, with Arsenal needing to win again in Munich to ensure a place in the Champions League quarter-finals, there are also travelling problems facing Kanu.

Wenger said: "We certainly don't intend to go to Germany with Thierry Henry and Sylvain Wiltord as our only two strikers.

"They have done well together as a pair, but in an away match you need people up front who can keep the ball when we need to, and both Dennis and Kanu are good at that."

Kanu faces an exhausting trip back from Africa, with the prospect of changing planes three times before he reaches Munich.

Wenger added: "We don't know yet if Kanu could pick up an injury with Nigeria and if Dennis does go I would need to be sure he's ready to start the game, although I've not decided that for sure yet."

Adding to the mix this week, however, is the possibility that the other final game in Arsenal's second-round group between Spartak Moscow and Lyon is under threat from the return of bad weather in the Russian capital.

Arsenal were beaten 4-1 there in temperatures of below minus 10 in November just before the start of Russian football's mid-winter break which ended this weekend.

Wenger said: "I've heard that deep snow is back in Moscow and I wonder what would happen if they couldn't play on Wednesday."

Provided Lyon fail to beat Spartak - whose own quarter-final hopes disappeared with last Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Highbury - Arsenal will reach the last eight knockout stage irrespective of the result in Munich.

To ensure against any collusion, however, Uefa have ruled that both games must kick off at the same time which, to cover the time-zone difference in Moscow, means a 5.55pm GMT start in Munich.

Bayern, who were lambasted by supremo Franz Beckenbauer for a miserable performance in their 3-0 defeat at Lyon last Tuesday, are currently still top of the group with 10 points but will go out if Arsenal beat them and Lyon beat Spartak.