Robin van Persie to miss second leg of Barcelona tie in UEFA Champions League
Arsenal striker http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Robin-van-Persie-c31380 is set to be out for a minimum of 3 weeks due to the knee problem he picked while scoring for the Gunners in the final of the Carling Cup against Birmingham City recently.
The Dutchman did look under some discomfort after scoring in the second half and rather uncharacteristically, looked to soldier on until the final third of the 90 minutes before being substituted.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger confirmed that their number 10 would miss the all-important second leg against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Arsenal-c38429 comeback at the Emirates in the
first leg.
However, the Gunners are relatively better equipped to cope without their first choice front man compared to previous seasons. A confident http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Marouane-Chamakh-c24294 might be decent reinforcements. Given their respective heights
and stature, they would further intensify Arsenal’s aerial threat. On the flipside, neither have the movement, the touch or the awareness of van Persie.
The Arsenal manager confirmed, “Unfortunately, we had bad news on the scan and he will be out for the next three weeks for sure,” said Wenger. “It could be longer. The shortest delay we can imagine is three weeks [so] he is definitely out for Barcelona.”
Elsewhere on the injury-front, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Laurent-Koscielny-c21742 is also reported to be rested after a minor knock on Sunday while his ‘partner
in crime’ that led to Birmingham’s winning goal, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Manuel-Almunia-c23386 in goal.
The Gunners boss concluded the team news with a word on http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Abou-Diaby-c3453. The Frenchman said, “Diaby was not in the squad on Sunday. I was cautious with him. He has missed many games this season and I did not want to take a gamble with the intensity of a cup final.
He will play on Wednesday night.”
While Arsenal saw their dreams to end their long-standing trophy-drought being shattered on Sunday, they still have an opportunity to keep the dream alive in the FA Cup 5th round replay against Leyton Orient.
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