Arsenal midfielders Cesc Fabregas (two weeks) and Emmanual Eboue (four weeks) will be out of action due to injuries sustained in their 2 – 0 defeat to Braga.

Skipper Fabregas injured his hamstring, while Eboue damaged knee ligaments in the Champions League Group H defeat. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger told Arsenal TV Online: “Fabregas will be assessed. After that we can tell how long he will be out, but I count two weeks.”

“Eboue has a medial knee ligament strain. I think it will be four weeks.” Wenger selected Fabregas despite the Spaniard’s on-going fitness troubles and admitted it had been a gamble. After the game the Frenchman said: “It’s disappointing because I had a hesitation to play him but I took the gamble and it backfired on us.” He later added: “It is a big blow because it will question how cautious we have to be in the future with him.

(more…)

After losing the north London derby against Spurs this week, Arsenal‘s woes continued as they fell short 2 – 0 against Braga in Portugal.

Matheus was the Braga match-winner, with two strikes in the last seven minutes saw the Portuguese team draw level with Arsenal in Group H and means Arsenal have more work to do to qualify for the knockout stage.

Arsene Wenger rung the changes – but surprisingly included Cesc Fabregas despite his hamstring problems. Otherwise Tomas Rosicky, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Johan Djourou, Emmanuel Eboue, Kieran Gibbs and Nicklas Bendtner all came into the Arsenal team. Braga showed three changes to the side that lost 6-0 at Arsenal in September, with Lima, Elderson and Leandro Salino all involved this time around.

(more…)

Cesc Fabregas missed training on Monday night and will not be fit for Arsenal‘s crucial UEFA Campions League clash against Port on Tuesday.

The midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in the 3-1 victory over Burnley at the Emirates at the weekend, and his absence from training led to confirmation that will not play for his side in their crucial second leg tie against the Portuguese champions.

The Gunners are 2-1 down after the first leg, and manager Arsene Wenger said at the weekend that he would be prepared to risk his captain in order to get his side through to the quarter-finals. But the midfielder’s injury has now ruled him out of the game. ”We cannot even take a gamble because he is just not available,” Wenger said.

(more…)

According to Cadena Ser Radio in Spain Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal captain and star midfielder, has struck a verbal agreement with Barcelona to join the Champions League Champions next season.

“There is a firm agreement between Barca and Cesc Fabregas even if it is only verbal,” the Spanish station reported without citing its sources.

“Several meetings have taken place and, following those meetings, Cesc told Barca that he wanted to rejoin them from next season,” it added.

Cadena Ser said the deal would be subject to agreeing a fee with Arsenal.

The reigning Spanish champions have neither confirmed nor denied the report.

Fabregas, a 22-year-old Spanish international, is Arsenal’s top scorer with 14 goals in all competitions this season and is under contract with the Gunners until 2014.

But his future has once again been the subject of much speculation this season and media reports have consistently linked him with a return to La Liga.

(more…)

The English FA are waiting for the referee’s report before deciding whether to take any action against Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas following an allegation he spat at Hull City assistant manager Brian Horton. Hull manager Phil Brown had accused Spaniard Fabregas of spitting at the feet of Horton in the tunnel of the Emirates Stadium after Arsenal‘s 2-1 FA Cup quarterfinal victory on Tuesday.

“We are aware of the allegations but are waiting for the report from referee Mike Riley, or if there is any complaint from Hull City,” an FA spokesman said on Wednesday.

Fabregas strongly denied spitting at anyone.

“I categorically deny that I spat at anybody after the match,” Fabregas, who did not play because of injury, said in a statement on Arsenal’s website (http://www.arsenal.com).

“I have never done this in my whole career on the pitch, so why would I do it when I am not even playing?

“I can understand the frustration of losing a game to a dubious goal, that has happened to me many times in my career as well. But this is not the fault of me or any of the Arsenal players.”

Brown said he had watched Fabregas spitting near his assistant manager.

“I was there and I witnessed it, he spat at my assistant manager down the tunnel,” Brown had said at a post-match news conference after William Gallas’s controversial late header knocked his side out of the Cup.

Brown added: “He spat at his feet.”

Arsenal manager Wenger said he had not witnessed any incidents at the end of the game.

(more…)