Jens Lehmann has injured his Achilles tendon and will miss
Saturday's home clash with Premier League leaders Manchester City,
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said on Thursday. The goalkeeper
aggravated a chronic injury during Germany's 2-1 win over England
at Wembley on Wednesday, Wenger told a news
conference.
Wenger said: 'Jens is out and he will miss two weeks, I think.
Maybe more. I don't know. He is going to see a specialist in
Germany tomorrow. He had this injury before but it has got much
worse.'
Wenger said Lehmann joined an injury list that included captain
Frenchman William Gallas, with a groin injury, and Brazilian
midfielder Emmanuel Eboue, who has an ankle injury. Wenger said
Spaniard Manuel Almunia would replace Lehmann on Saturday for a
fixture in which he hopes Arsenal will end City's unbeaten start to
the season.
Looking ahead to City's visit to the Emirates Stadium, their first
with former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson in charge, Wenger
said it was too early to say if City would be able to maintain a
challenge at the top. 'It can last but we will know more after 15
games, then we will have a better idea,' he said. 'I think we have
to be patient a little bit.'
He agreed that he was surprised at their confident start to the
season and three straight wins. 'When you sign a lot of players,
more than three or many more, then it usually takes time for them
to click. But they have super-clicked and done so super-quickly as
well.'
