Vieira returns to action

ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP PREVIEWS: The Arsenal captain, Patrick Vieira, will end an injury-plagued two months when he makes his comeback in the fourth round League Cup tie with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Highbury tonight.

The French international was forced off against Newcastle on September 26th with a thigh problem and then aggravated the injury after coming on as a substitute against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League five weeks ago.

Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger had pencilled in Saturday's trip to Leicester as the date for Vieira's return but his midfield linchpin, who received some of his treatment in France, has recovered ahead of schedule.

"I've been working hard with the fitness coach Tony Colbert for the last 10 days and I'm feeling good," Vieira said. "I always saw the Wolves games as a possible return but I've been determined to get fully fit before playing. The last couple of months have been a nightmare. I just want to play so much."

Vieira's return is a timely boost for Arsenal who have lost Ray Parlour to injury and Wenger is hoping to get at least an hour from his club captain against Wolves.

"Patrick will play from the start," Wenger said. "I am a little bit cautious but he is always very impatient to start and at the moment he looks ready. How long he will last I don't know, maybe an hour.

"It is important to have Patrick back, especially as we have lost Ray Parlour, and he could be out for two weeks."

Wenger made full use of his squad against Rotherham in the previous round by taking the opportunity to rest some of his bigger names and he is ready to maintain that policy tomorrow.

"I will play the kids again," he said. "It is only fair that people know that. I don't want to cheat the fans so that's why I'm telling them in advance.

"I hope to use Michal Papadopulos at some point during the match but we have got problems at centre back because Martin Keown is suspended. I haven't yet decided what to do about that."

His striker Sylvain Wiltord is available after recovering from a groin problem but Lauren is out through suspension.

Wolves have problems of their own. Colin Cameron is still unfit to return because of a stomach injury while Steffen Iversen, who has a calf problem, will also be missing.

Also sidelined is the central defender Isaac Okoronkwo with a hamstring strain. The striker George Ndah, goalkeeper Matt Murray and central defender Joleon Lescott remain long-term casualties. Paul Ince, meanwhile, will have a late fitness test on his troublesome ankle.

The good news for Wolves is that their on-loan goalkeeper Andy Marshall has been given permission to play by his employers at Ipswich.

The bitter rivalry between Southampton and Portsmouth will be renewed tonight after an eight-year break - and Gordon Strachan believes victory would provide the spark to ignite Southampton's season.

But Strachan's men go into the big game on the back of a woeful run of form. Their last four results read lost, drawn, lost, lost - and the flow of goals, which ran at a trickle at the start of the season, has completely dried up.

Striker Kevin Phillips sat out training yesterday due to a virus but is expected to recover in time. Left-back Graeme Le Saux is out with a hamstring injury, while forwards Marian Pahars and Agustin Delgado are fully fit after long-term ankle and back injuries respectively.