Fabregas out of Porto clash
Reuters - Monday 08 March 2010, 14:28
LONDON - Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas
has been ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League, last 16 second
leg tie against Porto at the Emirates stadium with a hamstring
problem, manager Arsene Wenger said.
The Spanish midfielder suffered a recurrence of the injury
he first sustained in December after scoring in Saturday's
Premier League win over Burnley.
Arsenal are 2-1 behind in the tie after a controversial
defeat by Porto at the Dragao stadium last month.
"We cannot even take a gamble because he is just not
available," Wenger told a news conference on Monday.
Fabregas was undergoing a scan on Monday but Wenger
predicted the injury would not keep the player out for long.
"We are all convinced it will be a very very short time and
that next weekend he has a small chance to be back for Hull.
"If it's not Hull it will be the week after."
Wenger said Arsenal, despite the absence of the influential
Fabregas, had enough quality to overturn the first-leg deficit.
"We want to qualify and the absence of Cesc is not any
excuse at all. We have enough players, we have a strong enough
squad to still get round that and we have a very good chance to
qualify."
Defender William Gallas is also out on Tuesday with a calf
problem.
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