LONDON, 10 December 2003 — Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger expects striker Thierry Henry to be fit to face Lokomotiv Moscow in today’s decisive Champions League game at Highbury.
Arsenal need a third consecutive Group B win to be sure of a place in the last 16 and Henry, the Premier League side’s most important attacking player, missed last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Leicester City because of a leg muscle problem.
But Wenger told a news conference yesterday: “There’s still a little doubt, but I think he will play. We’ll have to see how he reacts to today’s training session but I’m quite optimistic.”
Henry scored two goals and made two in last month’s stunning 5-1 win over Inter Milan at the San Siro which, along with a last-gasp win over Dynamo Kiev, has transformed Arsenal’s qualifying chances.
Wenger has also been buoyed by the return from injury of skipper Patrick Vieira, who should start after being rested at the weekend, defender Martin Keown, midfielder Ray Parlour and forward Sylvain Wiltord.
“It’s important that you have all the players back for such a big game,” said Wenger, whose side could also qualify with a draw if Inter Milan’s game at Dynamo finishes all square.
“As a team, the spirit is strong and the fact that everybody’s back here, motivated and confident is, of course, a big boost for me. “We have great desire, we have everybody focused and a lot of experience in the squad...the boys are really up for it and we have a great belief we will do it.”
Inter Ready to Go on the Offensive, Says Cannavaro
In Rome, Inter Milan defender Fabio Cannavaro has warned Champions League opponents Dynamo Kiev to banish thoughts of a classic Italian counterattacking game today.
Last season’s semifinalists, who currently lie third in a tight Group B, travel to the Ukraine knowing only a win will guarantee their passage through to the knockout phase. A draw would still be enough if Lokomotiv Moscow were to beat Arsenal in London in the other Group B game but it is not a scenario Cannavaro wants to rely on.
“We’re not going there to hang around waiting to counterattack,” he was quoted as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday.
“We’ve got to play aggressively, exactly as we’ve been doing in our last few matches.”
Al-Ittihad, Al-Faisali Draw Goalless
Saudi Arabia’s premier club Al-Ittihad were held to a 0-0 draw by Jordan’s Al-Faisali in the Arab Champions League match in Amman, writes Mahmoud Ahmad.
Though Ittihad made most of the running in the encounter, they could not break past the stout Faisali defense. Intricate designs in the midfield were the order of the day as the game wound down to a goalless stalemate.
