Patrick Vieira is also a major doubt for the home game against West Ham on Sunday. He is almost full recovered from his groin injury, but has not played yet so may be rested. Wenger has said that playing him against the Irons would be a "small, small gamble". He'll probably have a fitness test on Saturday or Sunday.

If Paddy doesn't make it, it's possible that Ray Parlour would step in. Ray played the full 90 minutes of the reserves friendly against Luton on Tuesday. He could even deputise as captain in Paddy's absence. It is certainly possible however that the Brasilian pairing of Edu and Gilberto will be given another start in central midfield, or even one of those 2 plus Gio van Bronckhorst.

Gio might however be playing at left-back, since Ashley Cole starts his 2 match ban.

Kanu may well be back in the squad too, having played most of the Luton game. If he is picked instead of Jeffers then the press will no doubt take it as an indication that Jeffers is indeed on his way out. And who could blame them? Jeffers may not have taken the opportunities he's had recently as comprehensively as we'd have hoped, but he did look lively against Oxford. If Franny starts putting the chances away as we know he can (from his Everton and England performances) then he has to be a better bet for the future than Kanu, especially since the Nigerian has been far from at his best this season.

West Ham are expected to be unchanged, unless they can sign a striker in a hurry. Tomas Repka is banned, and Di Canio and Kanoute both injured. Best not to assume they're completely toothless up front though since Jermaine Defoe is a bit tasty too, and scored a beauty against Newcastle last time out.

I can imagine Lee Bowyer getting as rough reception from the hoem fans, but it may be compensated for by the welcome always given to Nigel Winterburn. The nutty boy is still West Ham's left back. Perhaps indicative of their problems that a player on the verge of retirement for the last few seasons is still their first choice there (and wasn't he being kept out by Stuart Pearce a couple of seasons ago?), but he's a true pro and is bound to give everything against the Gunners. See The Guardian for quotes from the man himself. Seems like this really will be his last competitive appearance at Highbury.... "To even contemplate another year in the Premiership is asking too much", he says. Mind you, that doesn't in itself necessarily mean that he won't be playing for West Ham next season.

Nige suffered a dead leg in the draw with Newcastle last weekend, but Glenn Roeder is backing him to be fit in time for the Arsenal game.

There's been much talk of how Bowyer's arrival means they've now got 4 England midfielders. But that fact probably just demonstrates that midfield wasn't where they needed to buy.