Skip to content

Wenger weighing up options

Image: Wenger: Decision to make

Arsene Wenger will not make a decision on his goalkeeping situation until Arsenal's next fixture approaches.

Gunners boss yet to decide who will start against Rovers

Arsene Wenger will not make a decision on his goalkeeping situation until Arsenal's next fixture approaches. The Frenchman faces a dilemma between the sticks, with Manuel Almunia having failed to convince since returning to the starting XI. The Spaniard was recalled following injuries to Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski, but saw a glaring error in a recent 2-2 draw with West Brom cost the Gunners priceless points. Almunia is now in danger of losing his place to veteran shot-stopper Jens Lehmann, who has been lured out of retirement by Wenger on a short-term contract. The Arsenal boss has stopped short of declaring his intentions for a meeting with Blackburn on 2nd April, but concedes that a number of factors will need to be taken into consideration. "What can you say? The player knows it was the wrong decision," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online when asked about Almunia's mistake against the Baggies. "In big games, it hurts because that was a massive game for us and it hurts him of course."

Debate

On whether he would now make a change, Wenger stressed: "I do not want to make a public debate of that. "I believe for every game you consider three days before the game who will play in the next match." Wenger finds himself working with a skeleton squad at the moment, with the vast majority of his first-team stars away on international duty. Another game could be considered to be the last thing his title-chasers need right now, with the Premier League crown still very much up for grabs, but Wenger believes a change of scenery could be beneficial to his players. "After such a demanding and stressful three weeks we had, it is not so bad the players focus on something different for a while and come back refreshed," he said.

Around Sky