Wenger plans disrupted by injuries
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger must rethink his plans for three matches in eight days following the loss of Freddie Ljungberg, Emmanuel Eboue and Julio Baptista to injury.
The Gunners host struggling Watford on Saturday looking to make it four straight Barclays Premiership victories before heading out to Russia for next week’s Champions League clash against CSKA Moscow. A hectic schedule is then completed with a trip to top-flight newboys Reading on October 22.
Wenger has never been a fan of the international break in its current format, which sees his key men jet off around the globe.
Ljungberg picked up a calf problem and returned Arsenal for treatment after being ruled out of Sweden’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Iceland on Wednesday, while full-back Eboue suffered a knee problem while on duty for the Ivory Coast.
That, coupled with the loss of Brazilian Baptista through a hamstring strain in training, leaves the Arsenal manager some selection posers.
“Unfortunately when you have so many players away you can have some bad news,” said Wenger, also waiting on news of William Gallas, but expects the French centre-back to be fit.
“At the moment we have three injuries. They will be out for Saturday and Tuesday for sure. Freddie Ljungberg has a calf injury, Emmanuel Eboue has an injury to his medial knee ligaments. He will be out for three to four weeks.
“We have also lost Julio Baptista in training with a hamstring injury. He will be out for a while as well.”
Wenger at least had some positive news as defenders Philippe Senderos and Gael Clichy continued their comebacks in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Charlton on Tuesday afternoon.
“They are making good progress, but I do not know when they will be in the team,” the Gunners boss said. “They could be in the squad for one of the two games – but they are still a little bit short really.”
Arsenal teenager Theo Walcott grabbed the headlines earlier this week when he came off the bench to fire England Under-21s into the finals of the European Championship with a stunning brace against Germany in Leverkusen.
The pacy 17-year-old has so far only been used as an impact player by Wenger - and to great effect, having come on to help set up an equaliser late on in the first Premiership match of the season against Aston Villa.
Given the schedule facing Wenger’s jet-lagged stars, Walcott could well be unleashed from the start against the Hornets.
Meanwhile, Wenger will have the anniversary of his 10th year in charge of Arsenal officially honoured by the north London club ahead of Saturday’s fixture.
The Frenchman, 56, selected his first Gunners side to play Blackburn on October 12 1996 – with no fewer than nine England internationals included and only one non-British player, Patrick Vieira, in the starting XI.
Arsenal won the match 2-0 at Ewood Park.
