• Premier League

Fabregas injury worry for Arsenal

Soccernet staff
March 6, 2010
Cesc Fabregas scored for Arsenal but later went off injured © Getty Images
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes captain Cesc Fabregas is a doubt for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Porto after he limped off in Saturday's 3-1 win over Burnley.

Fabregas scored the opening goal at the Emirates Stadium but was replaced by Abou Diaby after 39 minutes of the Premier League match.

"He has a hamstring problem and how big the damage is we don't know yet because it's too early," Wenger said. "We have to make a late decision over whether he plays on Tuesday, certainly. It is the same hamstring [he hurt earlier in the season]."

Wenger also said Theo Walcott, who had come under fire following his midweek outing for England, answered his critics with a fine goal against the Clarets.

"Theo Walcott gave you the great response you waited for. He does what a player has to do - not talk in the newspapers and let your performance talk on the pitch," Wenger said.

"He didn't answer any critics other than with a good performance today and that's what you want from a player. That shows he is mentally strong.

"I was quite sure he would respond with a good performance but you never know, it affects you when you get criticised. The way he answered that at his age is remarkable."

Arsenal should have been out of sight even when Burnley equalised at the start of the second half through David Nugent. Nicklas Bendtner was the main culprit - the Dane missed a string of chances in the six-yard box.

Substitute Andrey Arshavin made the result secure in stoppage time and Wenger said: "It could have been four, five or six but as well they had a chance to make it 2-2 after a corner.

"In the end you are happy when you miss the chances we missed today, but you get the three points."

The Arsenal manager added: "I believe on the surface he looks like 'okay, I missed the chances', but underneath he is really disappointed.

"In his finishing, he missed chance after chance, but if you are a striker, it is like that. You think 'I missed the first one, but I will score the next one'.

"Once you have missed the second one, you are in trouble because after you do not know how to take the third one - do I really go for it, or wait for the ball? That is what happened to him today."

The events of last weekend at Stoke were still on the minds of Arsenal fans as they chanted Aaron Ramsey's name before kick-off, while a large banner was also displayed in support of the promising Wales international, who will miss the rest of the season with a double broken leg, while the players wore 'Get Well Soon Aaron' T-shirts during the warm-up.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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