The Times says Theo Walcott and the rest of the Arsenal players are donating a day’s wages to TreeHouse, a charity that helps the autistic. You can donate at: www.justgiving.com/beagoonerbeagiver
The Telegraph says Arsene Wenger has hinted he will not allow Jens Lehmann to leave Arsenal during the January window. He said: “Nothing concrete has been discussed. He is part of our plans.” However Oliver Kahn has told Lehmann to quit the club before his Euro 2008 chances, disappear.
Meanwhile Steve Bruce (Wigan) has targeted Armand Traore for the troubled left-back position. He is hoping to sign the 18-year-old on loan.
“Arsenal must be laughing themselves hoarse, is a quote from El Mundo Deportivo, on the indefinite injury to Thierry Henry.
Barcelona club doctors believe the Frenchman will not be fit to play for at least two more weeks and have warned that his “chronic” back condition has no cure and tends to deteriorate with age.
The Guardian says he has complained of lower back and hip pain and has now been diagnosed as suffering a dehydration of the intervertebral disc L5-S1 in his lower back, causing lumbar and hip pain. The official report noted that his condition dated back “a number of years”.
The paper adds that Barca privately fear that Henry will not be able to cope with the demands of regular games for the remainder of his contract. Independent medical experts have insisted that this is a persistent problem likely to dog him until he retires.
Comment: Six months is a very long time in football, and the situation adds to Wenger‘s reputation of bringing players on and letting them go at the right time. Comments such as “the [Barca] medical staff deserve a clip around the ear” should be tempered by comments from Barca’s commercial department saying the were going to recoup Henry’s fee early through shirt sales etc;