Wenger: Champions League will not distract us

(GSM) – Arsene Wenger insists his players will not be distracted by the forthcoming glamour Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona as they bid to keep their Premier League title bid alive with victory at Birmingham City on Saturday.

Wenger’s squad must come through another test of their championship credentials at St Andrew’s after a run of six successive league victories which has hauled Arsenal right back into contention.

With only two points separating the top three sides, but Arsenal with an inferior goal difference, Wenger knows there can be no room for error or failing to focus on the job at hand.

“I believe my players are very intelligent and if we were distracted it would mean we were not – the best way to prepare for Barcelona is to win the game before,” said Wenger.

“We have fought like mad until now to be in the position we are in. It is 10 months of preparation, fight and work to be where we are in the championship so we want to take advantage of that and win the Birmingham game.”

Arsenal return to St Andrew’s tomorrow for the first time since the horrific injury which threatened the career of striker Eduardo.

The Croatia international was sidelined for the best part of a year after being left with a broken leg and dislocated ankle following an X-rated challenge by Blues defender Martin Taylor during February 2008.

Eduardo has, though, shown a great deal of character to recover and return to the Gunners first team, with six goals this season having been mostly used as a substitute.

Wenger accepts this weekend may bring back some painful memories for the 27-year-old, but backed the Brazil-born forward to deliver the perfect response.

“It will certainly have a weight in his mind,” the Arsenal manager said. “That is part of a career as well, to show you have that mental strength to deal with those kind of situations and Eduardo has a lot of mental strength – he can deal with that.

“Overall we want him to come back there and just win our game, that is the only way you can deal with that situation. It is like you drive the same way every day in your car – one day you have an accident; afterwards, you cannot just not go through this way anymore. You have to live with it. Life goes on.

“It is only once in the 1000 times he played which he had an accident. It happened at Birmingham, but could have happened somewhere else.”