LONDON (Reuters) - Arsenal will be without leading strikers
Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie for the Premier League trip
to Liverpool on Tuesday, manager Arsene Wenger said.
"Emmanuel Adebayor is rested. He has a little hamstring problem
and we don't want to risk him," Wenger told reporters on
Monday.
"Van Persie has a little groin problem," added Wenger after the
Dutchman picked up the injury during Arsenal's 2-1 defeat by
Chelsea in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
The good news for Arsenal was that right back Bacary Sagna is
fit to return to the squad though he remains a doubtful starter at
Anfield where Liverpool will bid to keep up with leaders Manchester
United.
United are one point ahead of Liverpool with a game in hand and
fourth-placed Arsenal are 10 points off the top.
Wenger feels, however, that his young side have the quality and
the form to close the gap on the leading trio including Chelsea,
who are four points behind United, after going 18 league matches
unbeaten.
"We have many big games coming up and we feel we can win them,"
the Frenchman said.
"Winning is what we live for. We cannot be happy with only
trying to remain fourth," added Wenger, whose team face United in
the Champions League semi-finals.
"We want to get closer to the top and have a good opportunity to
come back to six points on Liverpool.
"Third place is important, second place is important and why not
first?.. You do not want to have regrets. We want to win every
single game, no matter what competition we play in.
"Of course, we are disappointed having lost in the semi-finals
of the FA Cup, but we want to bounce back quickly. We have so many
important targets in front of us and want to focus on that."
