Venables believes skipper Matteo will avoid surgery on knee injury

LEEDS manager Terry Venables is confident skipper Dominic Matteo will not require surgery on a knee injury which is dogging the centre-back this season.

Matteo has effectively been playing through the pain barrier, and although earning Venables’ praise for giving his all to Leeds’ cause, it is a problem which caught up with him during the victory over Manchester United nine days ago.

The 28-year-old was unable to play on after half-time, and ultimately missed the UEFA Cup win over Ukrainian side Metalurg Zaporizhya last Thursday, as well as Sunday’s disappointing 1-0 defeat at Blackburn.

By his own admission Matteo has barely trained this season and continues to undergo treatment in the hope he will be fit for Saturday’s high-noon showdown with reigning Premiership champions and current leaders Arsenal at Elland Road.

Striker Michael Bridges has been given the all-clear to resume training this week following a scare at the weekend which also ruled him out of the Ewood Park clash.

Bridges finally returned to first-team action against Zaporizhya, setting up Alan Smith for the only goal, after two years on the sidelines The 24-year-old had expressed his delight at being back in the side, only to then sustain another knee injury in training on Saturday, albeit not the joint on which he required a career-saving operation.

Following a further examination yesterday by physio Dave Hancock, Bridges could be on the bench for the Gunners clash.

Winger Harry Kewell, meanwhile, remained at home as he continues to struggle with sickness and diarrhoea which made his 24th birthday on Sunday a miserable one.

Australia international winger Kewell was another casualty forced to miss the game against Rovers A bonus for Venables is the return of Seth Johnson, whose only appearance this season was as a substitute on the opening day, with the midfielder playing in the reserves against Newcastle at Gateshead last night after more than a month on the sidelines.