Edelman expects Henry to stay

ARSENAL managing director Keith Edelman has rubbished claims captain Thierry Henry is set to quit the club next summer.

Edelman and the Highbury board look set to offer Henry a club-record £100,000 a week deal to finally see off enquiries from the likes of Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid and Premiership champions Chelsea.

Edelman said: "Yes I think Thierry will be here next season and he'll be running out at the new stadium, leading the team onto the field. All we're saying is we would like Thierry to stay and we are working very hard to achieve our objectives.

"That's all I can say at the moment, the players are very much with us in the development and are very impressed with the stadium."

Wenger will see none of the profits generated from the sale of 711 apartments at Highbury until 2010. "The money won't be available to Arsene Wenger; it's just a plan to make the club financially stronger for the future," Edelman said.

"We expect to sell the 711 units within the next few months but the money won't register for a few years. In cash terms and team building terms we'll have to wait to see the profits and the money."

Henry is a major doubt for the north London derby with Tottenham tomorrow. The striker only returned from six weeks out with a groin injury in last week's Champions League clash with Sparta Prague, where his brace saw the Frenchman become the club's all-time leading goalscorer.

"There is a bit of uncertainty about Thierry," Wenger revealed last night.

"He had a little bit of a setback. We pushed him in a little early and we need to get him completely back to where he can perform. At the moment he is not there. He is 30% to play and 70% not to play."

The loss of his talisman striker for the clash with their fierce rivals is a clear blow for Wenger who had issued caution against rushing Henry back into action too quickly, but saw his hand forced by a succession of injuries.

Striker Jose Antonio Reyes has, though, recovered from his bruised ribs and Freddie Ljungberg is also fit after a hamstring injury forced him off during the first half of the defeat at West Brom.

England defender Sol Campbell returned to the starting line-up in the midweek Carling Cup victory against Sunderland for the first time since limping out of the World Cup qualifier with Austria earlier this month.

With full-back Ashley Cole still out because of a stress fracture in his foot, the veteran's availability could not have come at a better time and will add some extra spice for the trip back to his old stomping ground.

When he has all his men available, the Arsenal manager believes there is more than enough talent to compete with the best.

"I feel that we've a very strong team who can compete with Chelsea," Wenger said. "Since the start of the season we have been hit very hard because we have a very young squad. So we are more in a situation where you need your experience to be with you.

"When we have experience with us we are as strong as anyone and we will show that this season."