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.

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Christiano Ronaldo scored a fantastic goal early in the game for Manchester United to see them go through to the semi-finals at the expense of FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League semi-final.

No English team had ever beaten the Portuguese champions on their own soil, but the winger’s first-half wonder strike gave his team a 1-0 win on the night, 3-2 on aggregate, to set up an all-English semi-final tie with Arsenal, who turned on the style last night to crush 10-man Villarreal 3-0.

Coming into the game as underdogs after a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last week, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson urged his players to bring the spirit of the 1999 treble winning team to the Dragao Stadium in what was his 150th Champions League match. One flash of genius from the Portuguese maestro coupled with gritty defensive play earned United glory and keeps the red half of Manchester dreaming of the quintuple. The United handler was like a little schoolboy at the end jumping up and down in delight.

“It doesn’t matter who you play when it is your 150th game!” beamed Ferguson. “150 games is a long time! I thought we defended very well and we had restored stability at the back with (Nemanja) Vidic and (Rio) Ferdinand reunited which is a solid partnership and they understand each other so well. “I couldn’t see too much danger from Porto really, save some half chances but nothing more than that.”

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