Gilberto to play central defence against Charlton?
September 29, 2006
Gilberto and Song on standby for defensive job at Charlton
Arsène Wenger may have to draft in an emergency centre half at Charlton on Saturday if William Gallas and Johan Djourou fail to recover from injuries.
The pair picked up knocks at either end of the 2-0 win over Porto on Tuesday. Djourou aggravated a previous foot problem in the warm-up while Gallas damaged his hamstring in injury time. Both face scans in the next couple of days.
With Philippe Senderos still absent, Wenger admitted he may have to employ midfielders Alex Song or Gilberto in an unfamiliar role.
“Neither Gallas nor Djourou are fit at the moment,†the manager told Arsenal TV Online on Thursday afternoon. “Djourou will have a test tomorrow. Gallas is having a scan today and that will decide whether he participates in the Charlton game. Personally I am very pessimistic.
“We are short of central defenders at the moment because Philippe Senderos is still out. But Alex Song can fill in. He has played in central defence. Gilberto can play there too so we will just have to see.â€
Arsenal TV Online subscribers will be able to see the full interview with Wenger on Friday morning. In it the manager discusses: the victory over Porto, why Arsenal’s form has improved in the past month, how he will celebrate his 10 years at Arsenal, Charlton’s poor start and the absence of Alan Curbishley.