Despite Eboue’s return to the squad for the trip to Burnley, Wenger’s options have not increased due to Denilson’s absence.

The Brazilian midfielder has a minor knock following the grueling game on Sunday but, according to Wenger, he should be back for the weekend:

"He should be available for Saturday but we still have to check that it's not a recurrence of his back problem."

The favourite to replace Denilson in central midfield will be Abou Diaby who has just returned from a recurring calf injury. The Frenchman provides a welcome physical presence in the side but his captain has been keen to promote the virtues of a smaller team, Fabregas said:

"Football is not all about size. We've seen successful teams in the past without any physical presence who could play great football. In the second half at Liverpool we showed that if you play good football it's very difficult to stop.�

Although there may have been successful teams in international football or abroad, there has never been an English league winning side without a significant physical presence. Obviously we can play good football but the presence that players like Song, Diaby and Bendtner have can be just as important as the technical skill that the rest of players display.

Keeping Diaby free from injury has been an impossible task so far during his career but he has a lot more talent than many fans give him credit for and the fact he gets so much playing time despite his injury record proves that Wenger values him. Burnley will attempt to rattle into us tomorrow night but Diaby has the power to ride most challenges and give the tricky players more time on the ball to hopefully win the game.

Photo: Action Images

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