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Sunday May 14th 2000
FA Carling Premiership
Preview
- Arsenal team news
We expect a virtual reserve side to play this game, what with
the UEFA Cup final on Wednesday (and Wenger's annoyance that the
League, quite rightly, refused to move the game forward).
Fredrick Ljungberg may be back though. If he's fit he'll be
keen to show that he's ready to play a part on Wednesday.
We expect Bergkamp, who faces a longer trip to Copenhagen
than the rest, to be rested. The big question is "will Henry play"?
If he does, he needs to score to set 2 new records: for goals scored in
successive Premiership appearances, and for goals scored in successive
appearances for Arsenal (in all competitions).
- Newcastle_United team news
Bobby Robson has gone on record as saying that he's hoping that Duncan Ferguson
will be able to play against Arsenal. He hasn't played since limping off in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea last month, and Robson wants him to show his
commitment to the Newcastle cause by making a speedy return.
Ferguson has been having intensive treatment. Robson said,
"We're hoping we'll get him out there for the last match just to prove
to everybody that he is motivated to play. There's no doubt in my
mind that Duncan does want to be involved, but he has had a
genuine injury. He had a badly swollen knee after the Chelsea match and the
theory was to get the swelling down naturally. The knee's in good shape,
it was never a wrench or a twist, so there was no ligament damage. He
just stretched the knee a little bit and it blew up."
Protesting a little too much, perhaps? Why does Robson feel the need to
go out of his way to assert that one of his players' injuries is
genuine? Anyway, let's hope he's not playing - Ferguson showed last
time at Highbury that he's their more dangerous striker.
Steve Howey has missed most of the season with an achilles
problem, but played the full 90 minutes of a reserve team loss to Leeds (4-1)
earlier in the week and is hoping to get
to start against Arsenal. Nicos Dabizas leaves a gap at central defence,
as he has returned to Greece following the death of his father and may not
come back in tiem for the Arsenal game.
Shay Given will be in goal with John Karelse on the bench,
Steve Harper having just had an operation on his knee
cartilage.
- Refwatch: GRAHAM POLL
Marc Norden writes: "Ok, who's looking forward to the schlep to Newcastle to watch the reserves?
Personally I am really looking forward to seeing a few of the lads playing
with the big boys (ooooh errrrr). Unfortunately, they will also encounter Mr
Poll. At least he has become a bit more sensible over the last couple of
seasons. Even better is that he has now been 'outed' as a Chelsea fan.
However we still struggle when he is in charge, a win, draw and defeat this
season. Forget the club successive wins record!!"
See also Refs section
- See also
Other reports
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