We’re missing 19 players in Greece! Is this a record?

BY my back of a fag packet calculations for one reason or another we’ll be missing 19 players tonight. Ordinarily all of the following would expect to get a game ahead of one or two of those who will start tonight:

Almunia, Eboue, Sagna, Clichy, Gibbs, Traore, Gallas, Vermaelen, Djourou, Senderos, Cesc, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri, Rosicky, Arshavin, Bendtner, Eduardo and RVP.

Of course, it’s a combination of injuries and the need to protect against further injuries that explains it. A fair few of them could have played tonight.

But with three tough league games in seven days ahead of us. I can’t for a second argue with the logic. This game is far less important than Liverpool, Burnley or Hull and is even far less important than City away last week. We’re top of the group no matter what and the worst that could happen to us is more injures (barring a mass brawl and being thrown out of the competition as a result. That would be worse).

That said, were I a Liege fan, I’d be fuming. Our line-up tonight is probably the weakest I’ve ever heard of for a Champions League games (in terms of having 19 missing, rather than quality).

Anyway, those of you who remember the days of scrambling to find somewhere showing our CL games in the early days of ondigital will be amused to hear that ITV1 will again be present for our big one!

On another note, there is still time to win a six month subscription to Arsenal TV Online. I’m asking you to tell me what was vaguely remarkable about the goal Ian Wright scored in the 1-0 home win over Man City on 29th September 1992. (not 1993 as I said earlier). It’s a toughie, but if your memory doesn’t stretch back that way I’m sure there is somewhere on the internet that will tell you. Click here to enter.

And that’s yer lot for today.