Rosicky to miss season's opener

Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has confirmed he will miss the start of the new season, with his slated return to the first team not until September.

The Czech Republic star missed the second half of last season because of various ailments.

He underwent a knee operation in May which precluded his involvement at Euro 2008 but he had originally hoped to be fit in time for the kick off of the new season.

However West Bromwich Albion on August 16 is a bridge too far for the 27-year-old.

“I know I’ll miss the start of the club season,” Rosicky told the Czech newspaper Sport.

“According to plans I should be back on the field in September.”

Clichy: We've got our very own Ronaldo

Gael Clichy has compared Arsenal team-mate Robin van Persie to none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, whilst suggesting summer recruit Samir Nasri could, in the future, be mentioned in the same breath as a certain Zinadine Zidane.

A succession of injuries have ensured that Van Persie has endured a truncated last couple of years at Emirates Stadium that have put the brakes on his Premier League progress.

However, he was fit enough to gain some significant game-time with Holland at Euro 2008 and, Clichy feels, could now be ready to start the new campaign with a bang.

“He was unlucky to be injured last season so it was good to see him play game after game,” said the Frenchman.

“It was a big blow to lose him and I'm certain that his return is going to be a great bonus for us this season.

“At Arsenal we have lots of players who can make a difference, but Robin is a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, the kind who, even if they aren't playing fantastically, can change things from one free-kick, corner or pass.”

Nasri finally completed his move to North London from Marseille this week and Clichy is tipping his fellow countryman to make sizeable waves in England.

“He is certainly a great player but we have to judge him over the coming years and then afterward we can talk about Zidane or whoever,” he added.

Arsenal sign Francis Coquelin

Arsene Wenger has signed his third player of the summer and his second French midfielder with Francis Coquelin joining from third division side Laval.

The 17-year-old experienced a promising trial with The Gunners last season and was expected to put pen to paper in the last two months.

Coquelin reportedly passed a medical in North London in May but his move has just been officially announced on the club’s official website.

Laval revealed in June that the player, who did not sign a first professional contract with Les Tangos, was allowed to move on as a free agent.

As a consequence, Arsenal are believed to have signed the Frenchman without paying any fee.

“Arsenal have signed French midfield player Francis Coquelin on professional terms,” read a statement on the club’s official website.

Werder Bremen youngster Amaury Bischoff could be The Gunners’ next signing.

Wenger wary of spending big

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is wary of spending the transfer money he has at his disposal.

Wenger has been linked with big-money moves for Aston Villa's Gareth Barry and Liverpool's Xabi Alonso following the recent departures of Gilberto Silva and Alexander Hleb.

The Frenchman has already brought in Aaron Ramsey and Samir Nasri, but is cautious over limiting the chances of the current youngsters at the club by recruiting experience.

He told the club's official website: "Of course I am in a position where I can spend the money.
Wage structure

"But every time we have done such a great job with the young players that you are concerned 'do we kill a young player or not by bringing another player in?'

"It is a very sensitive subject which is not specially linked with money."

Wenger went on to reject criticism over the club's unwillingness to disrupt their wage structure, amid rumours that Barcelona target Emmanuel Adebayor has demanded improved contract terms.

"There is a lot of talk in the press, but we have always managed at this club by balancing the budget," he said.

"We should not be criticised for that and should be respected for that."

I’m the one now, insists Denilson

DENILSON is a Gunners midfielder happy to buck the outgoing trend by committing his future to the club and winning trophies for Arsenal this season. The Brazilian admits this is a big year for him, and no wonder.

Fresh opportunities are presenting themselves almost daily, with the departures of midfield trio Mathieu Flamini (AC Milan), Alexander Hleb (Barcelona) and Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos).


Denilson, 20, rejected a chance to join the high-profile exits, instead aiming to make a sustained first-team impact in his third season at The Emirates. “I’m just focused on Arsenal, but I know some other clubs were looking at me,” said Denilson. “Last year I heard Barcelona wanted to buy me, but I really like it at Arsenal. “For me this is the best team, it’s where I want to be. I want to show what I can do for Arsenal.”

Denilson made 23 appearances last term, but just four Premier League starts. However, after 42 outings since his £3.4million signing from Sao Paulo in August 2006, he feels now is his time. He said: “This season is very important for me. I want to be involved in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup. I need to play, every player needs to play, and I believe in myself. I know I can do it.”

Fully refreshed after a summer family break in Brazil, Denilson is now back in the groove with daily double training sessions. “I am thinking only about working hard, training hard every day, and getting ready for the season,” he said. “I am thinking about my immediate future, and I know this is a big season for me. I know that Arsenal can win trophies this season for sure.”


Although Arsenal have made some midfield acquisitions in Aaron Ramsey from Cardiff and Samir Nasri from Marseille, Denilson has every chance of forming a new hub of the Gunners engine-room alongside Cesc Fabregas, who with Spain, now has a European Championship winning medal to his name. Denilson said: “Yes, I watched the Euro 2008 final – it was fantastic. I was very pleased for Cesc. I was proud of him because he played fantastically.”


Although yet to feature for the senior Brazil side, Denilson has played for his country at every age group from Under-15 to Under-20, captaining the Under-17s to the final of the 2005 world championship. While Denilson, who played alongside Manchester United’s Anderson, was starting out in the Brazil youth teams, the senior side were winning the 2002 World Cup under then manager Luiz Felipe Scolari. And Denilson is looking forward to coming up against Chelsea’s new boss and fellow countryman in club action next season.

Denilson said: “He’s a very experienced coach, one of the best in the world. He’s a big man, and a father figure, similar to Arsene Wenger. He will joke with the players, get on well with them, but is also a tough guy. “He can be strict but he is well respected. Gilberto has spoken to me about him, about his style, and it will be interesting to see him at Chelsea.”

Football, and midfield play in particular, runs in the Denilson family. His father was a professional in the Brazilian league, playing in central midfield, and two of Denilson’s three brothers are also beginning to make a name back home.

Summer sales spell danger for Gunners

Written by Tom Adams

Leaving Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy as the only remaining Invincibles, Gilberto departs with medals around his neck, head held high, honour intact and legacy assured. Hleb, in contrast, has snuck out the back door, seeking solace from London’s hustle and bustle in a small provincial town called Barcelona – apparently it’s somewhere in North East Spain…

Hleb's all-too eager badge-kissing at his new club and Gilberto's journey to Panathinaikos have followed the departures of Jens Lehmann and Mathieu Flamini since May. The arrivals? 17-year-old Aaron Ramsey and Marseille’s young playmaker Samir Nasri.

Talented players no doubt, but there is no guarantee they will perform consistently in The Premier League next season and that must be a real worry for a squad that looks more threadbare than at any other time in Arsene Wenger's long and glorious reign.

It is not for a mere mortal to question the Frenchman's blueprint in North London - the trophies he has delivered and the style in which he has done so earn him that distinction - but what is apparent is that The Gunners are lacking those key ingredients of experience and depth in several key positions at present.

With Hleb leaving, the injury-prone Tomas Rosicky is Arsenal’s only quality winger with any real experience. Theo Walcott and Carlos Vela are too young to guarantee sustained excellence, Eboue too poor to even guarantee an accurate shot or cross.

Arsenal fans will draw comfort from the fact that their win percentage and points per games ratio is superior for matches where Hleb has been absent in the past three seasons, but he improved immeasurably last year and enjoyed a good understanding with Cesc Fabregas as he grew into his playmaker’s role.

The holes are apparent in the centre of midfield too. Flamini’s departure was unavoidable but Gilberto’s exit looks somewhat unnecessary and risky. What better mentor could there be for an Abou Diaby or Alexandre Song, should Wenger feel the need to promote from within?

Gilberto, it is easy to forget, is only 31, and while his performances were noticeably lacklustre last season, he was superb in 2006-2007 when injury restricted Thierry Henry to a bit-part role. Indeed, the tale of another 31-year-old, Marcos Senna, should be a cautionary one for Wenger as the Spain midfielder shrugged off his critics to deliver a stunning campaign in Euro 2008.

Arsenal's first choice centre-back pairing of William Gallas and Kolo Toure is certainly impressive enough, but it is what comes next that raises concern. Philippe Senderos, Johan Djourou and possibly Song do not inspire confidence yet and contrast poorly to the club's likely title rivals.

Chelsea have John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Alex and Tal Ben Haim, Liverpool boast Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Sami Hyypia and Martin Skrtel, Manchester United have Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Mikael Silvestre, Wes Brown and John O'Shea. All superior options.

Emmanuel Adebayor's future is still very much up in the air and if the Togolese star leaves as well, then he must also be replaced in what is rapidly becoming a very significant summer for the club. If he does go, then Wenger's shopping list should include one central defender, a holding midfielder, a winger and a striker.

There is still plenty of time before the end of August of course and links to players such as Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz and Xabi Alonso are encouraging, but is it time to start getting concerned for the North Londoners?

Wenger invariably buys young players, but what would be the harm in signing a veteran or two? My mind wanders back to Liverpool's treble season and the role that shock signing Gary McAllister had on Gerard Houllier's team. Cheap and experienced.

Going several seasons without a league win is nothing new for Arsenal, and Wenger's staunchest supporters will no doubt point to the fact that the last time they did so, the response was a magnificent Double in 2001-2002.

But the side that produced that memorable campaign was bursting with experience, with the addition of Sol Campbell in the summer only embellishing an already accomplished team that included Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, David Seaman Tony Adams and others.

I got a bit of stick from Arsenal fans for suggesting at the end of the season that some surgery was required this summer, but for me the problem has only intensified since then.

Wenger has justified recent years of transition by pointing out that this latest team is improving and growing together. Well the growing pains have certainly hit now, with last season's side shedding several important organs.

While the Frenchman showed last summer with the purchases of Bacary Sagna and Eduardo da Silva that he has lost none of his magic touch in the transfer market, despite the financial impact that Emirates Stadium has had, new blood is certainly needed now.

After all, haemorrhaging experience is not the best preparation for a long and hard season at the elite level.

Alan Hansen was proved wrong when he stated in 1995 that 'you'll never win anything with kids', but with the demands of The Premier League higher than ever and squad depth perhaps the most important factor in any title race, it is clear Wenger has serious work to do before the season kicks off on August 16.

You would not put it past a man who was ridiculed for suggesting his side could go unbeaten in the league and then did just that a year later, but winning the title with as inexperienced a squad as he has at present would maybe be his finest achievement.

Vela sets lofty target

Carlos Vela has set his sights on winning the Premier League title in his first season at Arsenal.

The Mexican has been on Arsenal’s books for three years, but they were forced to farm him out on loan due to work permit issues.

The 19-year-old flourished in Spain and Gunners chief Arsene Wenger brought him back to North London as soon as he was given the green light by the home office.

Arsenal have come up short in recent seasons, but the green shoots of recovery were in evidence last term and Vela is keen to take the club back to the summit.

”I believe that this team can do very well and I think that we can compete for the title,” said Vela.

”I am hopeful that when this season is over we can look back and be satisfied with what we achieve.”