Wenger defends Vieira departure

ARSENE WENGER last night defended Arsenal’s decision to allow Patrick Vieira to move to Juventus and insisted the French international was released for his own long-term benefit.

While the club had fought off previous advances from Real Madrid with tenacity, vice-chairman David Dein is said to have told Vieira that he was “neutral” about whether he should move to Juventus for £13.7m.

Wenger responded: “If Patrick feels he was not wanted here any more, we will leave the final word to him. But he had either (just over) two years with us or five years with Juventus at the age of 29.

“I felt that if I was not able to offer him - straight away - three more years, then I wouldn’t be honest with him.

“He gave nine of his best years to Arsenal and somewhere you have to let him choose how he will finish his career. He would have been 32 at the end of his contract here and you have to respect that.

“Maybe it’s right that he left in the year that he wanted to leave less than in the other years, but he was given a choice of rationality, more than of heart.”

The Gunners manager also insisted that Arsenal’s title challenge would not be derailed by losing his two leading left-backs, Ashley Cole and Gael Clichy, until at least Christmas - even though he admitted it was a “big blow.”

Just as Arsenal were hoping to make the most of Chelsea’s recent dip in form, with face a tricky spell of games starting against Wigan today (Sky Sports 1, 12.30pm), Wenger is without both Clichy and Cole.

That will force centre-backs Pascal Cygan or Kolo Toure to fill in as an emergency left-back, with Cygan recently having played in that role in the Carling Cup against Sunderland.

However, Wenger insisted: “It is a big blow but I’ve never complained when players are out.

“I’ve always believed that the players who are available can do it, and I believe we can cope with this. We’ve done it in the past and we will do it again.”