I can fill Vieira’s shoes, says Fabregas

CESC FABREGAS believes he can help fill the midfield void left by the departure of Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira.

With just a few weeks of the transfer window remaining, manager Arsene Wenger has yet to sign a direct replacement for his long-time enforcer.

In Belarussian Alexander Hleb, a £10m arrival from Stuttgart, Wenger at least has a versatile squad member who can play in the middle, but the 24-year-old cannot be expected to step seamlessly into the Vieira mould.