Arsène Wenger's refusal to let Cesc Fábregas leave keeps Arsenal strong

Posted Tuesday, October 19, 2010 by theguardian.com

Arsène Wenger's refusal to let Cesc Fábregas leave keeps Arsenal strong
Arsène Wenger says Cesc Fábregas's desire to join Barcelona was a special case but he still blocked the move.

The theme of the day was unquestionably linked to star players reaching the ends of their tethers and wanting to move on but Arsène Wenger will pick his Arsenal team for the Champions League Group H tie against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow night buoyed by the knowledge that it need not always end in tears for the clubs.

Wenger said that Cesc Fábregas, his captain, was "ready to play at full fitness" after recovering from the hamstring injury that has kept him on the sidelines for four and a half weeks. The manager will make the decision on whether to start him in the morning and he said "it will be whether I take a gamble or not, because Cesc has been out for a long time".

Yet there is a certain comfort to the dilemma for Wenger. At various points over the summer, particularly at the very beginning before the World Cup finals in South Africa, it was unclear whether Fábregas would again wear the red of Arsenal. The midfielder had made it plain that his immediate future lay back in his native Catalonia with Barcelona and the Spanish champions were engaged in a concerted campaign to get him home.

Wenger, though, refused to buckle and, in a blow against modern player power, he succeeded in retaining his talisman. Fábregas remains central to Arsenal's quest to win silverware for the first time since 2005.

On the face of it Wayne Rooney's situation at Manchester United might appear to echo that of Fábregas. Rooney wants to leave, which is the doomsday scenario for United, and the club are keen to keep him. Certainly there are parallels in the behind-the-scenes machinations.

Yet Wenger described Fábregas as a "special case" and that was before the key differences from the Rooney situation were considered. Fábregas did not have a bust-up with his manager; he says that Wenger remains like a "second father to him" while, in the summer, he had five years to go on his Arsenal contract. Rooney now has 18 months left on his deal at United and Wenger expressed his surprise that the club had allowed the contract to run down so far.

"Cesc was a special case because he is from Barcelona," Wenger said. "It doesn't mean he doesn't love Arsenal. He loves Arsenal. You know his influence on our team. He is our leader, our passer. He has a good level of assists and a good goalscoring record. How much you miss him, you never know but, ideally, you want him in the team."

Wenger was also asked whether holding a player to his contract and making him stay was merely postponing the problem, rather than solving it. Barcelona are widely expected to move again for Fábregas at the end of this season.

"Yes," Wenger replied. "But I can return that question. Do you think you always have to give in? What do you do? It's part of being part of a club. We have people who only negotiate contracts at our club and I come in when it is needed."

Wenger is expected to persist with Jack Wilshere in midfield in the wake of the furore over the 18-year-old's red card against Birmingham City on Saturday but one player who remains some way from the first team is Robin van Persie.

The striker damaged ankle ligaments at Blackburn Rovers on 28 August and he is not expected to return until the middle of November, which could place him at the centre of a club-versus-country row. Holland have a friendly against Turkey on 17 November and their manager, Bert van Marwijk, says that he intends to play Van Persie.

"The Dutch coach has a good sense of humour," Wenger said. "There is no chance [of Van Persie playing]. It would be an absolute scandal if he played in a friendly and not any competition here. He would not be ready."

The visit of the Ukrainian league leaders, Shakhtar, will feature the subplot of Eduardo da Silva's return to the Emirates. The Croatia striker, who lost his way at Arsenal after suffering a terrible leg injury against Birmingham in 2008, is assured of a warm reception. For Wenger, though, the victory is everything and it would bring with it a bonus.

"What is interesting is that with a win we could focus on the league better," said the Arsenal manager. "It gives us an opportunity to basically think we have qualified. We have a big part to play in the championship and, after Shakhtar, we have a very big game at Manchester City."