Arsenal Team and Transfer News

- Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas insists he has not suffered a hamstring injury.

The Times says Cesc said that he will be fit to play against Aston Villa on Saturday. The midfield player was taken off with a hamstring problem in the second half against Seville.

"I felt my hamstring in the first half," he said. "I kept going, but I felt it again in the second half. I just came off to prevent something. It's the first time in my life I have felt this and I didn't want to take a risk. I'd say I'll be fit for Saturday, but the doctors are always trying to be a little bit careful. We will see the reaction.

"It's hard losing. We want to win, but you will not win all your life. One day you have to lose. We have lost against a good side and that's it. We will try to come back and win on Saturday. We have three important games and the league is the most important thing now for us."



- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is being handed a Champions League ban after his dismissal during Tuesday's 3-1 defeat at Sevilla.

Wenger was sent from the technical area for arguing with Belgian ref Eric Braamhaar. But he ignored the orders of fourth official Reinold Wiedemeijer to go to the stands and watched the final 10 minutes at the entrance to the players' tunnel.

That defiance is certain to land him in further hot water when Braamhaar's official report reaches UEFA HQ.

A spokesman said: "Article 70 of our disciplinary code states any coach who is sent off during a game must immediately remove himself to the stands.

"That is what happened with Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard in Lyon on Tuesday. It is no excuse for a manager to say he could not find a seat."



- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists he isn't concerned about any long-term damage after giving up their unbeaten run at Sevilla this week.

Wenger chose to rest the likes of William Gallas and Manu Adebayor and said: "I don't regret taking the gamble, I wanted to expose some players to the top level and that is what I have done.

"I'm not worried about that because we did not have our usual team out.

"I feel we started the game well and went 1-0 up, and then after we became too easy and lost urgency and we were punished, giving two goals away from a position when we were not in trouble.

"After that Sevilla made it a very physical game and they won the battle in the second half because we dropped physically, and because many players who had not played at that level struggled to live with them physically.

"Congratulations to Sevilla, they deserved to win in the end."

Arsenal's 3-1 loss at Sevilla was not only their first competitive defeat since April, but they were also the first goals the Gunners' defence had leaked in seven European matches this season.

Wenger was not overly concerned with those statistics though, insisting he has greater priorities.

"For me the unbeaten record in the Champions League is not important, what is important is to qualify," he said.

"The Premiership is important for us. We had to make some decisions because we have a very heavy programme and that some players have played all the games like Cesc Fabregas (hamstring), who got injured tonight.

"We have a very important December and I knew that we had to make choices between the competitions. For me, December is based on the championship."



- Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas is targeting glory for club and country this season.

Cesc declared: "I want to have a good season with Arsenal, play my best possible to win an important title, because this club deserves it.

"And later to go to the European Championships and win it... I believe that we have a very powerful team for that competition. We are a squad with great desire, very young but with much experience despite of that youth."
Asked also about fresh interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid, Cesc was adamant:

"I am very calm and with the club where I want to be, playing the football that I like and with incredible teammates.

"This club always has treated me phenomenally well and I am grateful to everyone there."



- Cesc Fabregas has defended Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger over his team selection for Tuesday night's defeat at Sevilla.

Fabregas said: "The only team that can do something as brave as that to develop young players is Arsenal. The manager only deserves praise for it. I have also learned from defeats like that in the past when I was a younger player."

Up The Gunners!