Thomas Vermaelen set to solve Arsenal left-back crisis for three games

Thomas Vermaelen will be asked to solve Arsenal’s left-back crisis against Everton, Manchester City and Aston Villa as Kieran Gibbs is 11 days away from a return to action.

Andre Santos has confirmed that he will be out for three weeks after twisting his ankle in Arsenal’s 3-1 Champions League defeat to Olympiakos on Tuesday night.

Gibbs, who has been out since mid-October, is building up his fitness after recovering from a hernia operation and Goal.com has learned that he has been pencilled in for a comeback on December 19 when Arsenal’s reserves host Chelsea.

With his two senior left-backs on the sidelines, Wenger’s two main options to fill in are vice-captain Vermaelen and rookie defender Ignasi Miquel.

Spaniard Miquel replaced Santos for the remaining 39 minutes at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on Tuesday and played 80 minutes at left-back in the League Cup defeat to Manchester City last week. He also played there in the previous round against Bolton Wanderers.

However, it is understood that Wenger is reluctant to hand 19-year-old Miquel his first Premier League start against Everton at Emirates Stadium on Saturday and is likely to rejig his ever-changing back four by playing Vermaelen at left-back with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker in the centre-half positions.

Wenger has mentioned Vermaelen as a left-back candidate on a few occasions this season but the Belgium international has only actually filled in there as a substitute despite being tried in the role on a few occasions in training. However, he has played at left-back for his country and his former club Ajax.

Should the 26-year-old adjust well to the position this weekend he could also stand in at left-back for the trip to Man City on December 18 and in the match at Villa three days later.

With Bacary Sagna a long-term absentee and his understudy Carl Jenkinson likely to be out for another week with a back injury, Johan Djourou is set to deputise once again at right-back.

This raises the prospect of Wenger fielding four centre-backs in defence against Everton and possibly longer depending on Jenkinson’s recovery.

Van Persie appointed as Arsenal captain

Robin van Persie has been confirmed as Arsenal's new captain.

The Dutch international has been at the Club since May 2004 and succeeds Cesc Fabregas, who left for Barcelona this week.

"Robin van Persie will be captain this season," Arsène Wenger told the Official Matchday Programme.

"He is a leader through the way he plays, through his attitude and through his desire to win.

"He’s been at the Club a long time and he’s a technical leader as well. Thomas Vermaelen will assist him, it’s the decision I have made and I’m confident the group will respond to it.

Alisher Usmanov considering selling his 27% stake in Arsenal to Stan Kroenke for £200m

 

The Uzbek-born billionaire and his business partner Farhad Moshiri are the club’s second largest shareholders and their stake is crucial to Kroenke taking private control.

Sources close to Usmanov have told Goal.com UK that the pair were completely unaware before the story broke on Sunday afternoon that Kroenke had reached agreements to take his personal shareholding to 62 per cent.

Usmanov’s investment vehicle Red and White Holdings has an offer of £11,750 per share on the table from Kroenke and, although he has said in the past that he does not want to sell, it could be one that is impossible to refuse.

His total stake is worth a combined £198 million, which would represent a tidy profit for the third richest man in Russia, who has acquired his holding at various prices ranging from £8,500-£11,500 per share over the last four years.

“We are considering the offer,” a Red and White source told Goal.com UK. “But there is no strict timetable at the moment.”

Usmanov and Moshiri are waiting to receive the formal offer document from Kroenke’s company, Kroenke Sports Enterprises. Once the offer is received it triggers a window of between 21 days and three months for shareholders to either accept or decline it.

Usmanov’s current holding does not give him any say in the day-to-day activity at the club. He is entitled to four seats in the director’s box at Emirates Stadium but has not been invited on to the Arsenal board.

Kroenke has said today that it is not his intention to de-list the company from Plus Markets – the junior stock exchange on which they are traded - and take Arsenal private.

But once he gets above 75 per cent, he would be in a position to do so and if he acquires more than 90 per cent of Arsenal’s shares, he could consider a compulsory purchase of any remaining shares. This would mean that Arsenal’s 1,200 minority shareholders would have no choice but to cash in their holding.

Wenger won't be drawn into keeper debate

Arsène Wenger will not be drawn into a debate over which of his goalkeepers deserves to start Arsenal's next game.

The Frenchman last week coaxed Jens Lehmann out of retirement at the age of 41 to act as cover for Manuel Almunia while Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone nurse injuries, and the former Germany international was on the bench for Saturday's 2-2 draw at West Brom.

The game was notable for an Almunia error that gifted the Baggies their second goal and the Spaniard's place in the team was questioned by reporters afterwards. Wenger gave an update on Lehmann's progress since re-signing for the Club but refused to go further.

"I do not want to get into that [debate] now. We have two weeks [until we play Blackburn]," he said.

"Lehmann is like a guy who has not been in goal for a long time but who has kept his body fit. He has the basic physical fitness, he needs little bit of decision-making practice in goal."

Wenger and Nasri given one-match bans by UEFA

 

UEFA has made the following announcement:

“Arsenal FC manager Arsène Wenger and midfield player Samir Nasri have both been suspended for one UEFA club competition match following charges of improper conduct relating to the English team’s UEFA Champions League game against FC Barcelona in Spain on 8 March.

The UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body today decided to suspend Wenger and Nasri for one European match each, with the punishment applying to the next UEFA club game for which either man will be eligible. The Arsenal manager has also been fined €10,000.

UEFA had opened disciplinary proceedings against the pair following the north London side’s round of 16 second leg in Barcelona.

An appeal may be lodged against the ruling within three days of the dispatch of the reasoned decision.”

Arsenal to demand £80m for Barcelona & Real Madrid target Cesc Fabregas

Arsenal are believed to be demanding a mammoth £80 million for the potential sale of their skipper Cesc Fabregas.

The 23-year-old has persistently been heavily linked with a move back to Spain, after coming through the ranks at Barcelona. 
And the midfielder has in the past spoken of a desire to return to the club of his youth at some point in his career.

But recent reports have indicated an intention to bid from Real Madrid, who are also believed to be interested in acquiring the services of the World Cup winner. Barcelona, meanwhile, remain committed to trying to re-sign their youth product.

Now The Mirror reports that the Gunners are going to stick to their guns and retain the £80m price-tag on Fabregas, in an attempt to hold on to their prized asset.

Arsenal appeal red card for Koscielny

On Monday afternoon, the Football Association
released the following statement:

"The FA can confirm that Arsenal FC have today
submitted a claim of wrongful dismissal, following
the dismissal of Laurent Koscielny for the denial
of an obvious goal scoring opportunity.

"Koscielny was sent off in his side’s fixture
against Newcastle United FC on 7 November.

"The claim will be heard by an Independent
Regulatory Commission tomorrow (Tuesday 9 November)."

Team news v Newcastle: Fabregas returns

 

Captain Cesc Fabregas is expected to return to face Newcastle United tomorrow after having recovered from a hamstring strain.

Doubtful however, is winger Andrey Arshavin (virus), midfielders Denilson (groin) and Alex Song (calf).

Midfielder Jack Wilshere however, has returned from suspension.

It could be that manager Arsène Wenger will be forced to field both Fabregas and Wilshere in the same team, a mouth watering prospect to most Arsenal fans.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, centre-half Thomas Vermaelen, midfielder Abou Diaby and left-back Kieran Gibbs are all still out.

Long-term absentees Aaron Ramsey and Robin van Persie are both close to a return. 

Gunners Simply Too Good

Not a betting man myself, I had to admit that I was sceptical at the halftime odds projected by bet365.com. A husky voiced Ray Winstone directed my attention to the 14/1 odds for a 6-0 Arsenal victory. Wrongly assuming that the Gunners would take their foot off the gas come the second half, I was pleasantly surprised. As the old cliché goes, it’s a game of two halves. In this case, it certainly was: two halves of Arsenal dominance.

Despite an excellent weekend performance, I was nonetheless apprehensive before kick-off. Braga, an unknown quantity to the average Gunners fan, looked a strong, athletic outfit, and could easily have provided a shock to a complacent side.

However, once Fabregas slotted home a well-placed penalty in the seventh minute, my doubts began to disappear. A solid performance from the ever-improving Jack Wilshere, plus a brace from the more than promising Carlos Vela, complemented a virtuoso performance from Cesc Fabregas.

Braga were accused of giving him too much time and space, perhaps rightly so; but as he has demonstrated so many times before, he can work his magic in even the tightest of spaces. Another impressive Chamakh performance begs the question: why did Wenger wait till the summer to buy him? Wednesday was most certainly the Arsenal show, and Fabregas was pulling all the strings.

This performance will doubtless draw comparisons with Tuesday night’s Barcelona victory. However, with the fluidity, speed and accuracy of passing eclipsed the Catalans. Braga, Champions League debutants have certainly got a few things to mull over on the flight home. I say watch out Barca.