Whether they start the second leg against Juventus tomorrow or not remains to be seen. A couple of days ago both were rated as only 40% probabilities; Cesc's chances are now said to be rather higher than that, his foot injury having pretty much cleared up, but Eboue's chances may still be no better than evens with his groin problem.

Such has been the impact of Eboue's form since returning from the African Cup of Nations a couple of months ago, that it's arguable that his fitness is as crucial if not more so. It's not that he's better than Cesc, so much as that the ramifications for team selection would be more complicated in the event of his absence.

Without Cesc, we can still play the now standard Champs League 5 man midfield: consisting of Alexander Hleb and Jose Antonio Reyes on the wings, with Gilberto and Abou Diaby in the middle and Robert Pires roaming around and supporting Thierry Henry centrally (actually, Jose and Alex would be all over the Stadio Delle Alpi too). The return of Robin van Persie is crucial to this, allowing Reyes to bulk out the midfield, although it's also possible that Freddie Ljungberg will return from his calf injury.

If Eboue's missing, however, it's probable that Johan Djourou would fill in for him at right back. Now, Djourou has looked superb in the middle when called upon this season. But he's not played for a while before the Villa game, and he's an unknown quantity at right back. Defensively I wouldn't worry about him, but can he get forward like Eboue does? This is a crucial part of the Arsenal full-back's role and could make the difference between holding on to a 2-0 lead and pressing Juve back making them fearful of the away goal that would forced them to score 4 times.

One alternative would be to switch Djourou and Toure, letting the latter do the getting forward, the lack of which clearly sometimes frustrates him at centre back, and this could be done during the game if things didn't look right.

Another alternative would be the return of a certain Sol Campbell. Sol has declared himself fit and ready and Arsene Wenger confirms it on the official site's injury news page. Sol seems to have been "90% fit" for ages now, having recovered from his "genuine calf injury", and his mental state rating ranging from 110 to around 200%. There are no grey areas where Sol's mental state is concerned, you see, when he is up he is up and when he is down he is down but he's never either halfway up or halfway down (sorry if that's a bit technical for you).

Stranger things have happened, but I can't see it myself. Maybe if it had been Sol coming on for Manu on Saturday, that's the clincher. Starting Djourou and having Sol on the bench makes sense.

Eboue will probably be fit anyway. Let's hope so.

Isn't it incredible to think what a short time it is since we had severe problems in both full back positions? Now, we're revelling in the form of youngsters on both sides, one of which (Eboue) was third choice not so long ago and ther other of which (Mathieu Flamini) wasn't even considered for the role until six or seven others had been tried. You've got to feel sorry for Matty, because there's no way he'll hang onto the slot once Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy are back, and there's no room for him as a regular in midfield either. We have to hope that he'll be content with a Grimandi-style squad role, and with the knowledge that his extraordinary versatility and dedication will earn him plenty of action. Because mark my words, we would miss Flamini.

As for Eboue, what I wonder are the odds on Lauren being sold in the summer? The Cameroonian has been an absolute rock for the club, and I'd hate to see him leave. But can he win his place back when he returns from injury in the summer (touch wood)? With Eboue and Kerrea Gilbert coming through, it would be no surprise if unsentimental Arsene decided it was time to cash in on Lauren.