Arsenal Fitness Boost As Trio Return From Injury

Blackburn Rovers were already in for a tough match at the Emirates on Monday, but the returns of Mathieu Flamini and Manuel Almunia to the Arsenal squad will make victory even more improbable for a hapless Mark Hughes.

Arsenal's Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia was injured in training ahead of Arsenal's match at Manchester City last Saturday. The keeper was replaced by a capable Jens Lehman, but after yet another blunder by the 38 year-old German, Arsenal fans will feel much safer in the hands of the consistent Almunia. 30 year-old Almunia should recover from his twisted thumb in time to face Blackburn.

Mathieu Flamini was taken off of the field due to injury this Tuesday. The holding midfielder had received his first senior international start, but had to be recalled after picking up a thigh injury. The knock seems to be less serious than first feared though, and Flamini may be ready as soon as Monday.

"It is just a little tight spot behind the right thigh," he said.

"It is nothing serious, I hope I will be ready for Blackburn."

Gilberto is also likely to return to the squad by Monday, although Tomas Rosicky, Robin van Persie, and Johan Djourou are still on the road to recovery.

In other news, Kolo Toure seems to have recovered from a knock picked up while playing at the African Cup of Nations. The stalwart central defender started for the Ivory Coast today in the Nations Cup semifinals against defending champions Egypt. It was at first feared that Toure would miss a large part of the remainder of the season, but it now seems as though the 26 year-old will be able to feature as soon as he returns from international duty.

Wenger Cautious About Arsenal Exit Rumors

Key squad members at Arsenal such as Gilberto, Mathieu Flamini, Lassana Diarra, Abou Diaby and Jens Lehmann have all been linked with moves away from the Emirates during the January transfer window. However, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted to being cautious over allowing anyone to leave.

The Gunners will be missing first-choice center back Kolo Toure, as well as Emmanuel Eboue and Alex Song for much of January and February as they fight for glory in the African Cup Of Nations. This means that Arsenal will be facing a shortage of defenders during these months.

Wenger feels that although Arsenal have a fairly large squad, due to the volume of competitions the Gunners are still fighting for, there is no need to unload any players.

"At the moment, I have to take care of the season," he declared. "We are in a good position and want to win every competition.

"You need a big squad and what looks a big squad can quickly look very short.

"At the moment we have not too many injuries, but with the number of games we play and the intensity of the games we play, I have to be cautious not to let too many players go."

Toure, Eboue, and Song Leave For ACN

Three Arsenal players have temporarily left Arsenal for the African Cup of Nations, which will take place between January 20th and February 10th.

Alex Song earned a call-up to the Cameroon national team after some impressive Carling Cup performances as a center back. The 20 year-old, who has made 10 appearances this season, has not yet earned his first cap, but will be hoping to do so during the Cup of Nations this January and February.

Emmanuel Eboue has been called up to the Ivory Coast's national side, along with virtual ever-present, Kolo Toure. Eboue, who has appeared 22 times for Arsenal this season, including 15 in the Premiership, will be missed, but can be replaced by a large array of midfield talent. The Ivorian would have been unlikely to feature after the return of Robin van Persie anyway.

Kolo Toure on the other hand, has played the full ninety minutes in 27 games for the club this season, and has been hugely important in the center of defense. One of the candidates for club captaincy last summer, King Kolo has formed a formidable partnership with captain William Gallas, and will be sorely missed.

Although Philippe Senderos is likely to be joined by fellow Switzerland international Johan Djourou, Gallas may well have to step up his game to keep Arsenal's defense watertight, as the former has been error-prone and the latter has yet to reach his best.

Depending on how far their respective teams get into the competition, the three may miss the following games:

January 9..............Carling Cup............Tottenham (h)
January 12............Premier League....Birmingham (h)
January 19............Premier League....Fulham (a)
January 23............Carling Cup............Tottenham (a)
January 26/27......FA Cup Fourth Round (if Arsenal defeat Burnley)
January 29............Premier League....Newcastle United (h)
February 2............Premier League....Manchester City (a)
February 9............Premier League....Blackburn (h)

Wenger Won't Buy Any Defenders In January

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is reluctant to splash out cash during the January transfer window.

The Gunners will be without first-choice center back Kolo Toure for large parts of January and February due to the African Cup of Nations, and it was speculated that the Arsenal manager would purchase a short-term replacement for the Ivorian in January.

However, it now seems as though Wenger will recall Johann Djourou from a loan at Birmingham and settle for three central defenders - William Gallas, Philippe Senderos, and Djourou.

"Kolo Toure goes off to the African Nations Cup shortly and we may lose Alex Song for it as well," said the Arsenal boss.

"Even with Johan Djourou returning from Birmingham we would then be left with three specialist center-backs.

"If I signed another one we'd have too many after the African Nations. Sometimes you just have to suffer during the tournament and let your players play."

Philippe Senderos apparently thinks he is ready for the increased amount of playing time, but Arsenal fans who have become accustomed to his frequent errors will not feel the same way.

"It could be a big opportunity for me to go in there and show what I can do," said Senderos.

"I believe I've already shown what I'm capable of but this could be a big chance to come into the team for a while.

"It would be a good time to come in as well - we are playing great football, winning games, and I'm ready for the challenge."

Adebayor to stay at Arsenal during ACN

The 2008 African Cup of Nations will last from January 20 until February 10, calling up African players from all over the Premiership. Arsenal looked set to lose Emmanuel Eboue, Kolo Toure, and Emmanuel Adebayor for that period of time, and there were some concerns that we would be light both up front and in central defense.

However, the effects of the ACN have been dampened by the fact that Togo has failed to qualify. This means that prolific Arsenal striker Adebayor will be staying with his club. It comes as a blow to Togo (and to Adebayor who I'm sure was looking forward to representing his country in the ACN) but Togo's pain is Arsenal's pleasure, and Adebayor staying is a major lift.

We will still struggle in the center of defense without Kolo Toure, though. The Ivorian defender has been incredibly solid at center back, whether partnered with Philippe Senderos or William Gallas. Even with the return of Johann Djourou, Arsenal will be in some serious trouble if Gallas gets injured (as he has managed to do quite often since his transfer from Chelsea) so I hope that the Micah Richards rumors are true.

We will be playing Newcastle, Manchester City, and Blackburn while the African Cup of Nations is going on, and if we can weather the storm, we have a great chance of winning the title.