Van Persie has been out since November with ankle ligament damage sustained on international duty and will most likely be on the bench at White Hart Lane.

“He is in the squad for tomorrow’s game,” Wenger told a news conference on Tuesday. “It’s a bit premature maybe (for him to start) so I will see but he is in the squad.

“He will feature. When I pick a player it means he is fit and sharp and has worked very hard. Of course, he lacks match practice but physically he is ready, he is fit.”

Third-placed Arsenal, three points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea with five games left, need a win to keep up their title bid while fifth-placed Spurs are four points behind Manchester City with a game in hand in the battle for fourth.

Both sides are struggling with injuries to key players with Arsenal also missing Cesc Fabregas, William Gallas, Andrei Arshavin, Kieran Gibbs and long-term absentee Aaron Ramsey.

Tottenham will be without Niko Kranjcar, who was injured in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat by Portsmouth, and Wilson Palacios who is suspended after being booked at Wembley.

Spurs are also missing Jermaine Jenas, Aaron Lennon and long-term injury victim Jonathan Woodgate while fellow central defender Ledley King has not trained this week.

“I’m trying to find 11 to play at the moment,” manager Harry Redknapp said on Tuesday. “It will perhaps be an opportunity for one of the younger lads to come in and show what he can do.

Source + Pic: sport24.co.za

The Holland forward hopes the radical medical treatment will speed up his recovery from a nasty ankle injury sustained in Saturday’s friendly against Italy.

Van Persie partially tore ligaments in a heavy challenge from Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini early in the 0-0 draw in Pescara and he is expected to be out of action for around 12 weeks.

It is a major blow for the Gunners as the Dutchman has scored eight goals in 15 matches in all competitions this season to emerge as a key figure for Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal have confirmed that the 26-year-old will return to London later this week to continue his rehabilitation and are happy with the care of the Dutch Football Association.

Van Persie, though, is ready to go a step further to try to help the healing process.

The striker revealed: “I will fly to the Balkans to meet with a female doctor who helped [PSV Eindhoven midfielder] Danko Lazovic.

“She is vague about her methods but I know she massages you using fluid from a placenta.

“I am going to try. It cannot hurt and, if it helps, it helps.

“I have been in contact with Arsenal physiotherapists and they have let me do it.”

Van Persie accepted his injury could have been much worse.

The Dutchman added: “A scan showed that my ankle ligament was almost completely torn off where Chiellini caught me but it was not intentional.

“I was lucky, it could be worse.”

Despite the prognosis now not being as bad as first thought, the loss of the Holland forward could hardly have come at a worse time for Gunners manager Wenger, who is already without Nicklas Bendtner until early December because of a groin problem.

While there is an outside chance England forward Theo Walcott could be in contention for the visit of Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea on 29th November after a knee injury, Eduardo is the most likely to be deployed as the central striker at Sunderland this weekend.

The Brazilian-born forward – who has battled back after spending almost a year on the sidelines with a broken ankle – scored twice in Croatia’s 5-0 friendly win over Liechtenstein.

Eduardo replaced Bendtner in the 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur and had a couple of good chances to chalk up a first strike since mid-September.

The Croatian, though, remains confident the rewards of continued hard work will come.

“Against Tottenham I missed one big chance in particular, when I was one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Maybe I had too much time to think about what I had to do,” the 26-year-old said.

“Sometimes it is better when you have less time to think and can act instinctively.

“But I will not worry about that chance, I feel strong in my head and my body.

“It is good that I was in the position to have the chance because, if you keep doing that, then the goals will come.”

Even if all goes well with van Persie’s recovery, Wenger must count without the skilful Dutchman until probably after Christmas, with the FA Cup third-round in early January a more realistic comeback date.

A statement from Arsenal read: “Following the care given to van Persie by the Dutch FA, he will travel back to London this week and continue his treatment with the Arsenal medical team at London Colney.

“Van Persie will be out of action for approximately six weeks.”

Brazilian midfielder Denilson, who has been sidelined since mid-September by a back problem, is expected to be available after the international break but defender Gael Clichy, who is recovering from a similar problem, needs more recovery time.

Meanwhile Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby – who had been troubled by a calf injury – has pulled out of the second leg of France’s World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland.

Via www.premierleague.com ]]> http://sportblog.co.za/2009/11/17/arsenal-and-van-persie-want-quick-recovery/feed/ 0 http://sportblog.co.za/2009/11/16/robin-van-persie-out-for-6-weeks/ http://sportblog.co.za/2009/11/16/robin-van-persie-out-for-6-weeks/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:11:17 +0000 Andrew Norman http://soccerpitch.co.za/?p=752 Arsenal star striker Robin van Persie will be out for up to six weeks following a rough challenge from Giorgio Chiellini of Italy during the friendly between Holland and Italy.

“I have had a scan. I am probably out for between four and six weeks,” Van Persie told Dutch television program Studio Voetbal on Sunday night.

But the in-form 26-year-old absolved Juventus defender Chiellini of blame, saying: “There was no intent.”

Van Persie’s absence could seriously undermine Arsenal’s bid to catch Chelsea at the top of the Premier League.

In 11 league games this season, Van Persie has scored seven goals and contributed to seven more in Arsenal’s impressive surge up the standings. Although the Gunners are five points behind Chelsea in second place, they have a game in hand and host the Blues on November 29.

Van Persie’s absence is a major blow for the club, especially with striker Nicklas Bendtner sidelined until mid-December after minor groin surgery and Theo Walcott hampered by a knee ligament problem.

Source + Pic: supersport.co.za

The Football Association have hit Adebayor with a three-match ban for violent conduct following an incident in Manchester City‘s 4-2 win over Arsenal last weekend.

The Togo international caught Van Persie in the head during the second half, but continues to protest his innocence by stressing he did not intend to hurt his ex-strike partner.

“I am sorry Robin got hurt, but I can’t regret something I did not mean to do,” Adebayor told The Sun.

“Anybody who knows me knows I would not set out to hurt anybody and I would especially not mean to hurt an old team-mate.

“I really am glad Robin was OK because I know my stud was close to his eye, but there was really nothing I could have done – there was no way I could have got out of the way in time.”

The forward has also been charged with improper conduct by the FA after running the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of Arsenal fans after scoring City’s third goal.

Adebayor has explained his celebration was a response to the abuse he had received from the travelling support and concedes he could not take any more.

He added: “People talk about us as being football players and the money we earn, but just because we are fortunate it does not mean we need to take abuse.

“If you were to abuse a man in the street for over an hour he would react and it would be a worse reaction than a goal celebration!

“There is only so much abuse a man can take until he reaches breaking point.

“I was being abused by people who six months ago were singing my name and the abuse was for no reason.

“I scored and I wanted to show people it is not a good idea to abuse me. I really didn’t understand it at all.

“I was running on pure emotion and when you take emotion out of football we are going to have a big problem.

“People say I had time to think because I ran the length of the pitch, but that is not true.

“I was abused all match and scored a goal I knew would win the game for us. Ten seconds is nothing. Your emotion is going to last a lot longer than that.”

Adebayor also claims some of his old team-mates did not shake his hand before kick-off, commenting: “There were players from Arsenal who refused to shake my hand before the match.

“I don’t want to give you their names – that is not my style – but there’s more than one of them.

“My friends, like Eboue, were fine with me. They are decent people. But I could not understand some of the Arsenal players being disrespectful towards me.”

Source + Pic: teamtalk.com

The Dutch international, Arsenal’s leading scorer this season, has been out since April 18 and is likely to rejoin Togo target man Emmanuel Adebayor up front as the Londoners bid to overturn a 1-0 deficit at their Emirates stadium.

“He is available and he is in the squad,” Wenger told reporters on Monday. “He is one of those players who gives me an opportunity to make a (selection) decision, but we are very conscious that it is all about our team performance tomorrow.”

Former United defender Mikael Silvestre was also included in Arsenal’s squad but faces a late test on a groin problem.

“Everybody is very focused and we are ready for the game,” the Frenchman said. “It is important to have everyone available and in the squad for this kind of game.”

Wenger rested eight of those who played in the first leg for Saturday’s 3-0 win at Portsmouth and said that decision had given him a refreshed group.

“I am confident that the team will produce a magnificent team performance and that we will manage it. We play at home and we have a strong record in the Champions League. I know that, for many, we are the outsiders, but personally I believe we will do it.”

Arsenal are unbeaten at home in the Champions League in 24 matches stretching back to a defeat by Chelsea in April 2004. United have not lost away in the competition in 11 outings since losing at AC Milan in May 2007.

Wenger said United were stronger and sharper in attack in the first leg, but said this was partly due to their longer preparation time. “This time will be different and I think it will be on our side,” he said.

Asked how he rated his team’s chances of winning, he added: “We will make it, no matter what happens. So, I am not interested in our chances. We have to make it and we are focussed on that. It is a game we have to go out and enjoy, to play the football we love and want to play so let’s go out and do that and let (other) people talk while we do the job.”

Source: supersport.co.za

Pic: skysports.com