Denilson, Walcott and Wilshere will make the trip north while Gallas, Sagna and Arshavin may be rested.

After a week of fresh injury concerns, three players return to give the club some timely good news before a crucial league game in the north-east. None of the returning players are likely to start the game though and the starting eleven may be further weakened after gruelling Word Cup qualifiers involving France and Russia. Wenger said:

"The French players have played 120 minutes. Arshavin comes back from a very long trip and is very disappointed. Apart from that, it is not too bad."

Pre-Match Tension is beginning to build and although to outsiders, this game should be a gimme for Arsenal, we now have a sniff of a hope of a glimmer of a chance of being involved in a title race and every league match now feels like a cup final. The injuries we have suffered during the international break do not help the nerves but Wenger has spoken of his hope that the situation will be different next year following a rule change:

“In the next round of the European Championship qualifiers, there is now a freedom for teams to play on Friday and Tuesday (instead of Saturday and Wednesday).â€?

This would give players a full three days rest instead of two before they have to play with their clubs following the international break. We are notoriously vulnerable in the November period, particularly after the international break but hopefully this rule change will help.

Photo: Action Images

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