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by CARL ELDRIDGE So, Andres Iniesta is out of the game the whole world wants to see (apart from a pocket of ne’redowells in N17) but is Cesc Fabregas going to miss out too? Let’s delve intop this morning’s papers to get the lowdown ahead of the Arsenal playing Barcelona at the Emirates on Wednesday night in the first leg of the Champions League quarter final.
The Guardian says we are anxiously waiting to learn whether Cesc will be fit after he received a blow just below the knee in the 1-1 draw with Birmingham City. The paper says that our medical staff were due to assess the injury today, with AW sure to give the skipper every chance to prove his fitness ahead of their meeting with the Champions League holders.
AW has also revealed that Abou Diaby picked up a knock at St Andrew’s but whether Diaby is a major doubt for Barcelona is unclear but Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin, who started on the bench against Birmingham because of groin and knee problems respectively, are expected to be in the squad.
Talking about the injuries and the Brum draw, AW tells the Sun: “It’s always hard to pick the players up when you get caught like that. It is very difficult when we know we have no room for error at all. It feels like a defeat. But Barcelona is a different competition and we have a few days to recover and prepare.”
AW added: “Nasri had a groin problem, Arshavin a knee problem from the last game, that’s why they were left out. We have to assess Fabregas. It was a bad tackle. He got tackled at the knee. We tried to take him off but he said he was all right. I don’t know if he is a doubt for the Barcelona game.”
As for Iniesta, the Daily Mail reports that 12 hours after boarding the Barcelona team bus without a hint of a limp or visible pain, he was ruled out of the game at the Arsenal.
Iniesta picked up a hamstring strain at Real Mallorca on Saturday night during Barcelona’s 1-0 win and was withdrawn just after half time. Barca manager Pep Guardiola called Iniesta’s problem ‘slight’ after the game and did not appear to expect to lose such a valuable player.
The Mirror carries quotes from Thierry Henry, who admits it will be both “strange” and “emotional” for him to face us. He said: “I’m very emotional, but staying calm. Before the draw I said I did not want to face Arsenal. It’s very special. To return home is strange and even more so in the quarter-final of the Champions League. I do not know how the fans will react.”
And Tel says in the Telegraph: “It’s very special. To return home is strange and even more so in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. It will be different because I spent seven years at Highbury and only one at the Emirates, but to see the people, the fans and the other employees at the club again will be very strange.
“I played eight years at Arsenal. It’s like if Xavi left Barca and then returned one day. Since I joined Barcelona I’ve only been to see Arsenal on one occasion, against Blackburn three or four months ago.”
Last word as ever goes to Henry Norris, who writes in the Bugle: “I’ve been distracted as I write this because my rather busty scretary Senga has a low-cut top on…but to matter pending and is it me or would we have walked away with the Premier League title if we had a keeper?”
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