Arsenal Football Club News

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

• Ground:Emirates
• Capacity:60,432

Wenger sets Cole deadline

08 Aug 2006 - 08:15:13

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Arsene Wenger expects Ashley Cole's Arsenal future to be decided by the end of the week.

The England left-back has made no secret of his desire to leave the Gunners after falling out with club officials over their handling of the Chelsea tapping-up affair.

Preliminary talks about a big-money move to Chelsea have already taken place and Cole has been left out of the Arsenal squad for Tuesday's Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Zagreb.

Wenger insisted avoiding the 25-year-old becoming cup-tied ahead of a possible transfer was not a factor in his squad selection, but hinted that the Cole saga is close to a conclusion.

"I do not know what will happen with Ashley Cole in the next few days, but for me certainly the deadline has come now to make a decision one way or the other," he told BBC Radio London.

"This week is the last limit I can expect something to happen."

Arsenal are without a number of other key players for the trip to Croatia, as Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg, Gael Clichy, Philippe Senderos, Abou Diaby and Theo Walcott are not fit and Jens Lehmann is suspended.