Cutting edge: Wenger hopes Van Persie can make
Arsenal a more dangerous outfit against United at the
Emirates
Robin van Persie will make a shock comeback
against Manchester
United in the Champions League
semi-final on Tuesday as Arsenal bid
to improve on their flawed performance at Old Trafford and overturn
a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.
The Holland striker has been struggling with a groin injury for
a fortnight but his rehabilitation is geared towards making him
available for Tuesday, with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hoping to
field a full-strength attack of Van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, Theo
Walcott and Samir Nasri, though Croatia striker Eduardo will be
ruled out with a groin injury he sustained in the first leg.
Van Persie has struggled with a succession of injuries in the
past two seasons and was ultra-cautious when he damaged his groin
in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, but Wenger has held him
back for the decisive match of the tie and the defining game of
Arsenal's season.
The Gunners manager hopes Van Persie will add the cutting edge
his young team lacked in the first leg. Wenger said: 'United were
sharper than us in the final third in the first half-hour of the
first leg, but we had a lot of possession in the final part of the
game, we just weren't dangerous enough.
'I look to the whole team in these big situations. Like when we
were a penalty down in Rome and still made it with a young team.
You can see they will not be affected by pressure.
'They can hold their nerve. We had a tough time in the away leg,
but United will experience a tough time at the Emirates. 'We are 90
minutes from where we want to be, in the final, and I and the whole
squad believe we can do it.'
