• Premier League

Wenger won't drop Mannone

ESPN staff
October 24, 2012
Vito Mannone is Arsenal's only fit senior goalkeeper © PA Photos
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Arsene Wenger admits he has no choice but to keep faith with goalkeeper Vito Mannone after his howler against Norwich at the weekend.

The Italian was at fault for the Canaries' winner - fumbling Alexander Tettey's speculative long-range strike to allow Grant Holt to tap home as Norwich claimed a shock 1-0 win.

But despite a number of costly errors by Mannone in recent weeks, Wenger has little option but to stick with the 24-year-old.

With Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski both sidelined with ankle injuries, Wenger insists it would be detrimental to drop Mannone for the lesser-experienced Damian Martinez.

"I've spoken to Mannone - we both know mistakes can happen to every big keeper," Wenger said in the Daily Telegraph.

"But I am not tempted to play Martinez. The biggest quality of a keeper is experience. Putting an even less experienced player in now wouldn't be the right thing."

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