Champions League - Nasri back for Porto clash
Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri returns to the Gunners squad for Tuesday night's crucial Champions League clash with Porto at the Emirates Stadium.
Nasri has been out with a knee injury since late August but is available to face the Portuguese side.
Alex Song (hip) joins Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Abou Diaby (thigh), Amaury Bischoff (groin) and striker Eduardo (leg) in the treatment room.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has already admitted he is ready to swing the axe after the disappointment of Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Hull.
Kolo Toure though has denied complacency was to blame for the loss - and claimed he was scared to face the Premier League newcomers.
Skipper William Gallas suggested Hull may have been underestimated but Toure rejected that explanation, claiming he viewed the match as a tougher fixture than facing Manchester United.
"I was scared to play the game," he said. "Sometimes people, not the players, play the game before it's started and that's a problem because there are no small teams in the Premiership.
"Against Man United everybody thinks it's going to be a tight game but when you play against Hull it's harder because you are expected to win and score in the first minute. But it doesn't happen like that."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who said he felt physically sick after the weekend defeat, will hope for an emphatic response.
"We didn't play very well against Fulham and then we came back well in the next game when we beat Twente in the Champions League [qualifiers]," Toure added.
"For a team like Arsenal it's always good to have a good reaction. Any team can fall down but it's about how they react to defeat that matters. Tomorrow is a really good test and we will see if we can show another face.
"The manager, like everyone at the club, was very upset after Hull. We're professional and we know that when we play for Arsenal we can't afford to lose like that." |
發表於 2008-9-30 12:44 AM
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