Team news v Aston Villa: Bendtner returns

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Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
27 Jan	7:45 PM	P	Aston Villa (A)	0	0	Draw

Striker Nicklas Bendtner will be on the bench for tonight's crucial match against Aston Villa in the Premiership. We currently lie second in the league, behind Manchester United, whom we face this weekend before taking on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next week.

Danish international Bendtner has not featured for the side for three months but could make bolster an Arsenal strike force that has lacked a target man since injury to Robin van Persie.

Winger Samir Nasri also returns, and defender Bacary Sagna will start the match despite carrying a shoulder injury.

With the January transfer window closing in 4 days, Wenger explained that Bendtner's recovery convinced him that he did not need to buy a striker.

Wenger said: "Bendtner has qualities that are important in the squad. He's a good player and he is tall as well.

"If I don't find better than what we have [then I will not buy]. At the moment we have not found that.

"You can take players, they're on the market but it's a different thing to find good players that will, let's say, strengthen our squad.

"Also, we didn't know for a while if Bendtner would come back and when.

"It is commonly perceived [that we need a new striker] but we have the best goalscoring record.

"It's strange because I go to press conferences where you [reporters] ask me 'you let too many goals in'. Meanwhile we have the best attack and people ask me 'why don't you buy strikers?'

"He will be on the bench, Nasri will be there too. They have had [only] one training session but we are short.

"Sagna has a shoulder injury that is still not completely clear. But he will start the game."

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