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Posts Tagged ‘week’

• France midfielder linked to Manchester City move
• Manager praises ‘fantastic spirit in training’

The Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, has said that he will have no problem picking Samir Nasri to play against Liverpool on Saturday. He also urged the club’s fans not to jeer the France midfielder.

The Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, said earlier on Friday that he still hoped that a deal to sign Nasri could be tied up “very quickly”. Discussions between the two clubs are believed to have been going on for some time.

However, Wenger said that while the 24-year-old, who has yet to sign a new deal and could leave for nothing next summer, was still an Arsenal player, there was no reason to leave him out, now he is fit after a bout of illness.

Wenger – who this week saw his captain, Cesc Fábregas, sold to Barcelona – said: “One thing I don’t question is the commitment of Samir Nasri to this club. Every day since he has arrived here, every day in pre-season, he has worked with a fantastic spirit in training.

“The fans will want Arsenal to play well and win the game. They do not make an individual case of each player in each position. They want good players and to win the football game.

This week, Nasri used Twitter to criticise “disrespectful” chants that were directed at him by Arsenal fans during last weekend’s draw at Newcastle.

Samir NasriArsène WengerArsenalManchester CityLiverpoolTransfer windowguardian.co.uk

• Competitive comeback still scheduled for mid-September
• Fábio Aurélio injured again but Martin Skrtel close to return

Steven Gerrard will return to light training with Liverpool this week as the club captain continues his recovery from the infection that ruined his start to the new Premier League season.

The Liverpool midfielder has not featured for Kenny Dalglish’s team since March due to groin surgery and his scheduled return in August was postponed when he suffered an infection related to the operation. Gerrard was released from hospital almost a fortnight ago and has been granted permission to resume light training. “Stevie will be stepping up his recovery this week,” Dalglish said.

Liverpool have not, however, revised Gerrard’s comeback date of mid-September and the 31-year-old is expected to miss England’s European Championship qualifiers against Bulgaria and Wales at the start of next month.

Martin Skrtel will also return to training at Melwood this week as he recovers from a calf injury suffered in pre-season, but the luckless Fábio Aurélio is facing another extended period on the sidelines having damaged his achilles tendon in training on Friday. Liverpool have yet to discover the full extent of the injury-prone defender’s

Krusty the Clown, Malcolm in the Middle and an iconic New York image all feature in this week’s efforts