Wenger in search of striker

ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINAL Manchester City v Arsenal: Venue: City of Manchester Stadium Kick-off: Tonight, 7.45pm On TV: Sky Sports 1

ARSENE WENGER has admitted Robin van Persie’s long-term ankle injury will force him to search for a replacement striker during the January transfer window. The Arsenal manager said he would only do business if any deal were viable. But for the first time since the full extent of van Persie’s injury became clear, he conceded it had affected his thinking.

“It has to,” he said. “I didn’t feel we were in the need to buy anybody, but we will be out on the market. But we will only make a decision if it suits us.” Wenger’s words will be welcomed by the club’s supporters who saw him sell Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City over the summer but choose not to replace him. He instead put his faith in van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner, Eduardo da Silva and Carlos Vela. All four, though, have suffered injuries.

Van Persie was hurt while playing for the Netherlands against Italy last month following a challenge from Giorgio Chiellini. “I watched the tackle of Chiellini again; it looked anonymous but it’s not as anonymous as it looks at the start and in between Dirk Kuyt has come out and said they were kicked by the Italians,” Wenger said. “In such an important season for us we lose players in friendlies on tackles like that and it is really difficult to accept.” Chiellini has denied any malicious intent.

Van Persie was diagnosed by the Dutch FA’s doctors to have suffered a partial ligament tear but after further tests by Arsenal’s medics, the ligaments were revealed to have been severed. He has been ruled out for five months.

Bendtner, who has not played since the beginning of last month because of groin surgery, is not expected to return until Christmas at the earliest.

Wenger’s interest in the Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh is well documented, although a January deal appears unlikely. His other targets include Andre-Pierre Gignac of Toulouse, Milan’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Mario Balotelli of Internazionale.

Arsenal face Manchester City in the League Cup quarter-final tonight and because of injuries, Wenger’s team will be even more experimental than that which beat Liverpool in the previous round. The 17-year-old midfielder Jack Wilshere, a loan target for Celtic, will start.

Meanwhile, Mark Hughes enters a critical five-day period in his tenure as Manchester City’s manager admitting there is an acute sense of “frustration” running through the club – from the supporters, whose criticisms of the manager have become increasingly voluble lately, to the owners in Abu Dhabi, whose trust in his leadership he must hope has not eroded.

City can reach their first semi-final in any competition since 1981 if they beat Arsenal tonight. The alternative, however, is a grim prospect for Hughes on the back of a seven-match run of draws in the league that has exasperated the club’s supporters.

Hughes spoke to the chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, yesterday and reflected that the mood in Abu Dhabi was one of disappointment about the inability to build on an impressive start. “That is the top and bottom of it,” Hughes said. “They are frustrated that these draws have not been turned into wins. I discuss it on a weekly basis with Khaldoon and will discuss it after the game as well.”

While Hughes appears to have the complete backing of the Abu Dhabi United Group, who have always been sympathetic to his requests for patience, there are also murmurs from the Middle East that the support is beginning to wane.

“I’m not surprised by the speculation,” Hughes said of his own position. “It’s quite predictable, and something I’ve had to put up with ever since I came here. It’s not something I lose sleep over.”

A win could drastically change the outlook and City, looking for their first trophy since winning the League Cup in 1976, will play a full-strength side, in sharp contrast to Wenger’s policy of using this competition to give younger players first-team experience.

Guardian Service