Wenger ponders transfer moves

Arsene Wenger has said he might have to use the loan market if his full-back crisis does not ease.

The Arsenal manager is already without Bacary Sagna, Andre Santos and Carl Jenkinson while Kieran Gibbs has had a setback when a return to the first-team was around the corner.

With Johan Djourou also out, it means Ignasi Miquel or Sebastien Squillaci could be forced to fill in to help out against Aston Villa on Wednesday.

The Arsenal boss said on Tuesday that Sagna had begun to run again following his broken leg in October, but he revealed that if Gibbs was to be out for an extended period of time it would force him to dip into the loan market during the January transfer window.

“He (Gibbs) will see a specialist again and if something happens there that he has had a real setback then we could (look at loans), possibly, yes,” Wenger said.

“That’s what we are doing. We are starting to look at players if Gibbs is not back.”

Arsenal have been playing with four centre-backs across the back in the past couple of games against Everton and Manchester City in order to cope with their injury crisis.

But Wenger believes playing the likes of Thomas Vermaelen on the flanks instead of in the centre is detrimental to the team as they cannot produce as much going forward compared to the specialist full-backs.

“No solution will be ideal because whatever we do, two players will have to play out of position,” he said.

“We have centre-backs who do not like to play at full-back and we are a team who likes to go forward through the full-backs, so they are in a position where they have to produce different games.”

“That is much more demanding physically. That exposes us even more to injuries.”

Meanwhile, Wenger expects his side to respond to their disappointing loss to Manchester City when they step on to the pitch at Villa Park.

Arsenal moved 12 points behind City after their loss at the Etihad Stadium in a game Wenger said they could not lose.

But they have the chance to redeem themselves as they take on an Aston Villa side lacking confidence and goals.

One man who has no such problem is Robin van Persie, who has 33 goals in 33 matches in the calendar year, and with three matches remaining is just four strikes away from breaking Alan Shearer’s record of 36.

Wenger, it was thought, would try and rest the Dutchman for one of the matches over the Christmas period, with games against Wolves and QPR before the start of 2012.

But with Van Persie so close to the record it is alleged he has no intention of being rested as he tries to cap a brilliant year off in style.

“We are a team who wants to respond quickly now and keep our spirit and determination,” Wenger said.

“Then we have a bright future, but it’s important that if we keep that spirit and determination we can go from strength to strength.”

“We are not the same team we were two months ago. In the next two months of course we want to be different again.”

“They are always passionate games against Villa. We have been criticised a lot since the beginning of the season but you can say what you want but where we go something happens.”

“There is always entertainment, even the game on Sunday. It was a game where the two teams went for it – then football becomes a fantastic sport and we will do the same at Aston Villa.”