|
UK readers (who aren't going to Dortmund) should note
that the recent campaign to make all Champs League games available to all digital viewers has been pretty successful.
Wednesday's match is live on the ITV News channel, and that
channel (the Champs League version) is now carried by
Sky Digital and Terrestrial Digital services (as well as some cable operators).
Arsenal's skipper returns because Patrick Vieira's current
suspension applies only to domestic matches.
Bergkamp has not travelled. It seems that he wanted to,
he said as much after the Blackburn game (when he came on from the
bench) but minutes later Wenger was
confirming that Dennis would not be going. Although we benefited
from his presence in Eindhoven recently, it was there that he
picked up the injury which he's only just returned from. Kanu seems bound to continue up front alongside Henry.
Wenger has no new injury worries, so the big question is
whether or not to start with Pires. With Dennis staying at
home, my guess is that Bobby starts.
Dortmund should be stronger than when they lost 2-0 at Highbury.
Brasilian striker Ewerthon is back, and likely to replace
Amoroso up front. Joerg Heinrich may well return from a sprained neck, and Christoph Metzelder (German world cup defender)
plays in a mask to protect his broken nose.
Dortmund's loss at Highbury kick-started their season.
They're now well-placed to qualify for the next stage (especially if they get a result against us) and they've been on a domestic league run the last instalment of which was a
4-1 win away to Werder Bremen at the weekend.
Coach Matthias Sammer has angrily denied media reports that he has described Arsenal as arrogant cheats, and accused them of
diving in the Highbury clash.
If we draw, we go through (but it wouldn't be enough for Dortmund). If we lose, we're still through unless Auxerre beat PSV (in which case we'll need a result against the Dutch in the last game). If we lose it'll be the 4th consecutive loss, the first time that's happened since 1983!
|