Prague Preview; RVP Relief; Gallas Speaks Out
Add comment October 23rd, 2007
Arsene Wenger yesterday allayed fears about Robin Van Persie’s knee injury by confirming that it was a medial rather than a cruciate ligament injury:
“His injury is a medial knee ligament. At one stage we were scared it was a cruciate but we had good news and the scan was positive. But it is still a long injury.”
Granted, it is still a long injury, but it means an absence of weeks rather than months. In Van Persie’s continued absence tonight, Emmanuel Adebayor will probably be partnered by Eduardo da Silva, though Arsene Wenger suggested that Theo Walcott’s impressive cameo on Saturday could earn him a starting role. Intriguingly, he also intimated to a German reporter that Jens Lehmann would be on the substitutes bench. We shall see.
After Lassana Diarra spoke yesterday about being left out, Arsene moved to explain the selection difficulties he faces:
“There’s even competition for the subs’ bench and there will be world-class players not involved [tonight].”
That quote suggests that it’ll be a strong side tonight, and so it should be: Prague managed to score two goals in Seville and are no pushover. A win takes us within three points of qualification for the next phase, and William Gallas already has his eyes on trophies:
“I don’t know if we will win the Champions League or the Premier League but definitely we have to win something. We play good football but I have said before, you can play well and win nothing. If you don’t win anything there is no point.”
He’s talking a captain’s talk. Now it’s time to show us the walk. Over to you, William.