Wenger short host of stars

ARSENE WENGER insisted Arsenal would produce another ‘backs-to-the-wall’ display to revitalise their Champions League hopes despite a debilitating injury crisis.

Wenger will have to cope without Patrick Vieira, Fredrik Ljungberg, Sol Campbell and Dennis Bergkamp as Arsenal tonight search for what would be only their second victory in 11 Champions League ties.

However, he insists he has no regrets at having sent seven players including internationals Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Francis Jeffers out on loan to cut the wage bill and give them further experience.

Wenger is nevertheless hoping Martin Keown and Ashley Cole will shake off shin and knee injuries respectively to make the line-up as he admits Arsenal must at least draw away to Lokomotiv Moscow, having lost their opening group game 3-0 to Inter Milan.

Pascal Cygan is on standby and, such is the scale of Arsenal's problems, youngsters Justin Hoyte, David Bentley, Stathis Tavlaridis and Jeremie Aliadiere have all made the trip as cover.

Wenger declared: "We have to make things right after our disastrous start and get something out of this game.

"I've seen my players with their backs to the wall a few times in the past and they have always responded well. There will be another response in this game.

"We can rely on the fact that, since the beginning of the season, our only disastrous game was against Inter. So the confidence should still be there."

Campbell has been absent from full training following the death of his father and is understood to be targeting this weekend's game at Liverpool for his comeback.

"Sol is back in full training but is still a bit short physically and of course still a bit down too," explained Wenger.

"I think Ashley and Martin will be playing, but Patrick and Freddie are both out. Everybody who has trained with the first team and is fit is therefore travelling."

While Bergkamp is unwilling to fly, Robert Pires and Edu look set to come into midfield, with Wenger having set his team a target of three wins from their five remaining ties believing nine or 10 points will be enough to qualify.

But Wenger still does not have great strength in depth, especially with so many key players absent.

Indeed, he would consider recalling Jermaine Pennant or Moritz Volz from loan spells at Leeds and Fulham respectively if any further injuries are sustained.

Apart from internationals van Bronckhorst and Jeffers, Igors Stepanovs, Liam Chilvers and Sebastian Svard, are meanwhile either out on loan for the season or playing abroad.

Wenger, who ruled out a move for Rivaldo, declared: "If we have some more injured players, I would be tempted to recall one or two of them.

"But I don't think it would have changed the starting line-up if I hadn't put anyone out on loan.

"For some, like Pennant and Volz, it was a case of giving them experience. I know that when a guy like Volz comes back, he'll be a real contender for the right-back position, while that wasn't the case beforehand.

"I have great faith in the youngsters. I have no problems, for instance, in playing Justin Hoyte if something happens."

This visit to Moscow is the first of back-to-back away games in Eastern Europe, with a visit to Dynamo Kiev to come in a fortnight's time.

However, Wenger's side must overcome their poor recent record in the former Soviet Union if they are to revitalise their qualifying chances.

In November 2000, they lost 3-0 at Shaktar Donetsk, although it was a 'dead' match as they had already topped their group.

Just a fortnight later, however, they were in Moscow, where they lost 4-1 to Spartak at the start of the second group stage.

Two seasons before they were beaten 3-1 away to Kiev, having earlier drawn 1-1 at their temporary Wembley home with the Ukrainian side.

One bonus for Arsenal is that the dates of their away games in Moscow and Kiev should at least miss the worst of the winter conditions, which affected them in 2000.