Team news v Porto: Wenger has confidence in Sol

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
17 Feb	7:45 PM	CL	Fc Porto (A)	1	2	Lost

With defender William Gallas out of the first Champions League tie against FC Porto, manager Arsène Wenger is confident that Sol Campbell is a more than able deputy.

Gallas suffered a calf injury and is amongst a number of other absentees as Wenger reshuffles the team for tonight's match.

Wenger explained that Campbell would be his preferred choice [over Mikael Silvestre] as the former England international is right-footed, complementing the left-footed Thomas Vermaelen, who will play.

Alex Song, Andrey Arshavin and Manuel Almunia have also been ruled out with various injuries, continuing the injury crisis that has plagued the club this season.

Wenger said: "Ideally we wanted them there but I believe it is part of being in that competition that you focus on the players who play, not those who don't play.

"The real question is 'can we make a good result with all the players who don't go to Porto?', and I'm convinced yes. So let's focus on the players who play.

"It is a possibility that I don't rule out at the moment because if he [Campbell] doesn't play there it would mean you play with two left-footed players [Vermaelen and Mikael Silvestre] that I don't really like.

"What it means to him is that he can show that his signing was worth doing and that he can help us to go through to the last eight."

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