Yearning for a Silva service

THEY may not have

Silva had been in his homeland since the middle of September, recuperating from a serious back injury that threatened to wipe out his entire season with the Premiership champions.

He is due to undergo further scans tomorrow and to consult specialists over how much progress he has made during his three-month absence and to determine how much longer Arsene Wenger will be without one of the unsung heroes of last season's unbeaten 'Invincibles'.

There is still a possibility that Arsenal's doctors will decide surgery is the best option for Gilberto's back problem, thereby ruling him out for the rest of the campaign. If that is the case then Wenger will be forced into some major decision making.

The ongoing contract dispute with Edu and the continued absence of his compatriot will leave Wenger seriously short on proven experience alongside skipper Patrick Vieira in the middle of the park as Arsenal head into the second-half of the season.

For despite the sometimes breathtaking progress shown by 20-year-old Mathieu Flamini and Cesc Fabregas, 17, this season, the Arsenal boss desperately needs some older heads in his engine room as the Champions League moves into its knockout stages and Chelsea threaten to widen their advantage atop the Premiership.

Which brings the story full circle back to Gilberto Aparecido da Silva.

That catchy Joni Mitchell chorus of "you don't know what you've got till it's gone" may well have been written about the destruction of the environment but Arsenal fans have had cause to apply the sentiment to the case of their missing Brazilian.

Because though Gilberto was very much the second fiddle in Wenger's central midfield to the virtuoso of Vieira, even the Highbury faithful have been forced to admit that the absence of the most maligned player in their squad has been more keenly felt than they could ever have imagined.

As if awoken from a dream, Arsenal supporters have begun to realise they do not have a player to shield their back four and to break up opponents' attacking moves. Perhaps it has dawned that they are without the midfield rock to then begin a countering move, and all in an unfussy, disciplined manner that makes his adversaries only become aware of his presence once it was too late.

It is that style of play that during his earlier days in Brazil earned Gilberto the nickname 'The Invisible Wall' but now his invisibility is a source of concern to Wenger and Gooners everywhere.

For all the dynamism of Arsenal's forward cohorts led by Thierry Henry, their free-flowing game was underpinned by Silva's dependability and defensive midfield play. He did not make bone-rattling tackles because he didn't need to, instead preferring to deploy his excellent positional play. And those talents made him the perfect link between defence and attack, the ideal springboard for an attacking move.

The man himself is aware of the concerns of supporters: "It's a shame that Edu's been injured, even though Cesc Fabregas has been really performing well.

"I am sure one day he will be one of the greatest midfielders in Europe. However, he's still 17 and it's not fair if people demand too much from him now."

Gilberto also issued some calming words as he attempted to lift the spirits of not just his new-found converts but, you suspect, the player himself, as rumours began to circulate that the injury was far worse than had been imagined. "My message for the people who say my injury is career threatening is this forget about it," the Brazilian declared. "I will come back even better than I was before, without a doubt.

"I don't know where these fears about my career being in doubt are coming from.

"Although I've been wearing an orthopaedic vest for the last two months only taking it out to have a shower or to sleep I don't feel any pain. I will undergo some new tests next week and if everything is all right, I will start the physiotherapy again.

"I expect to be back as soon as I can and my goal is to be fit and available for Arsenal's next matches in the Champions League, in February."

Nor is it just the Champions League that is serving as the incentive for Gilberto's rehabilitation; Gilberto is eager to help the defence of the Premiership title.

"I still believe Arsenal are good enough to catch Chelsea and win the league. However, in my opinion we cannot let the points difference increase any further, because Chelsea are not in the lead by accident. They have been playing really well, and are getting stronger all the time. But there are still many games left and Arsenal will react strongly to cut their lead."

Whether Gilberto will be there to help will soon be revealed but the Brazilian is not a comfortable spectator.

"It's been really difficult to be away from football.

"But I also consciously decided to switch off a bit from the game so I could focus totally on my recovery.

"When Arsenal had all those injuries and needed players to be fit, I tried not to think about how I wished I could be there to help. I've watched some Arsenal games but it still hurts not to be around."

Gunners fans can sympathise with that.