Wenger sweats as Arsenal stars go qualifying
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will approach this week’s World Cup qualifiers with trepidation with up to 17 first team players involved in international matches.
Adebayor: 6,000 mile round trip for 90 minutes on the bench
The most controversial selection is Togo manager Jean Thissen’s decision to recall Emmanuel Adebayor after weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. Wenger has received assurances from Togolese coaching staff that the striker will play no part in the game versus Cameroon, meaning Adebayor faces a round trip of 6300 miles for no football.
Wenger remains hopeful that Adebayor will be fit enough to face Manchester City on April 4.
Elsewhere, up to three of Arsenal’s back four could start for France against Lithuania in Vilnius on Saturday. Gael Clichy, Bakari Sagna and William Gallas could also play in the return fixture four days later.
Mexican forward Carlos Vela faces a gruelling 9000 mile round trip to play Costa Rica on Saturday and Wenger will hope that Eduardo, newly restored to fitness, can make it through 90 minutes against Andorra on Wednesday.
One player who will definitely miss out is England’s Theo Walcott, who injured his right knee in a freak injury sustained while walking back from training last week. It was initially feared Walcott would miss the rest of the season, but scans have since revealed the injury is less serious than Wenger had thought.
“The scan [on Friday] was reassuring,” said Wenger. “We will have another scan to see if that is confirmed. We were a little bit worried about cartilage or even the cruciate but there was none of that.”
Arsenal have three games next week, including two Champions League ties versus Villarreal and Wenger will be hoping his squad emerges with a clean bill of health.
