Double boost for Gunners
Posted Tuesday, May 14, 2013 by PA
Arsenal expect to have goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (rib) and full-back Kieran Gibbs (hip) available for the Barclays Premier League clash against Wigan at the Emirates Stadium.
Striker Olivier Giroud serves the last game of his three-match ban.
Midfielder Abou Diaby (knee) is a long-term absentee.
Wenger admits he is unsure how Wigan's battling FA Cup win at Wembley will impact on their performance in a match Roberto Martinez's men must win to keep alive realistic hopes of staying up.
However, the Arsenal manager wants his team fully focused on delivering the required result themselves.
"Wigan had a contrasting week because they were on a low against Swansea when they lost at home, a game that of course was a massive game for them, but you could see on Saturday they have quality and they played a remarkable game when they played against Man City," he said.
"What kind of team will we face? We don't know. We know just one thing - we want to be at our best in a game of that importance.
"We are on a remarkable run, we have been hugely consistent and we are in a position where our destiny depends on us and we want to finish the job."
Martinez will select from the same FA Cup-winning squad he took to Wembley.
The Latics boss is concerned about fatigue after a physically and emotionally draining final at Wembley and could freshen up the starting line-up.
Midfielder Jean Beausejour and defender Adrian Lopez could return for Sunday's final match of the season at home to Aston Villa.
Martinez accepts there is no margin for error in their final two matches with the team staring relegation in the face.
Anything other than victory would effectively send the Latics down - they have a vastly-inferior goal difference to nearest rivals Sunderland, who are four points ahead - just three days after winning the FA Cup.
But the situation is not an unfamiliar one for Martinez, as the last two seasons their top-flight existence has gone down to the final couple of matches.
"There is no margin for error, you need to win your 'finals' - that could be survival or winning trophies like we did on Saturday," said the Spaniard.
"You prepare for 10 or 11 months to get to crunch time and make sure you win the games and that is exactly the situation we are in.
"When you start the season you plan the campaign to try to be successful in the league: some clubs plan to win the league and some plan to stay in it.
"Six points at this stage of the season is vital. Two years ago we had to get all six, last season we had to get three out of six, other years we've needed one.
"I don't see it as an extra pressurised situation as the players have been coping with it year after year.
"We have six points to get and finish the season on a real high."
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