Arsenal Football Club News

• Nickname:Gunners
• Founded:1886
• Manager:Arsene Wenger

• Ground:Emirates
• Capacity:60,432

Wenger calms Diaby fears

18 Apr 2007 - 08:16:46

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is confident Abou Diaby will be fit enough to feature in this weekend's north London derby against Tottenham even though the Frenchman sustained an injury in the 3-1 win against Manchester City.

The victory lifted the Gunners up to third in the Premiership table and seemingly certain to enjoy another season of Champions League football, but the Emirates Stadium crowd voiced their frustration with the team during Tuesday's victory.

"Diaby has a cut, but we don't think it is serious," confirmed Wenger. "He says he has double vision so I took him off straight away because I didn't want to take a chance with that.

"He started very bright, he was very bright from the start and I feel in that position he can do well.

"We want to finish as high as possible. We are eight points clear of the non-Champions League qualifiers. It's not enough mathematically, but it's a big step tonight.

"I have always felt that as a professional football player you have deal with that (the crowd's frustration). As a manager as well - when people are coming here, they pay good money, they can get their frustration out.

"If sometimes their frustration is with the team or a bad pass I completely understand that.

"It's down to us to transport them to a different world, when sometimes you cannot do that they are not happy but you have to deal with that.

"But overall it was a deserved victory and you can see there is a lot potential in the team. Technically we were outstanding tonight - again."