Wenger backs troubled Lehmann

ARSENE WENGER has been spared a potentially awkward decision over the future of his under-fire goalkeeper Jens Lehmann after the German was ruled out for at least two weeks through injury.

Lehmann’s position as Arsenal’s No 1 has come under threat after he made glaring mistakes in both his side’s opening Premier League fixtures and he will be replaced by Manuel Almunia for tomorrow’s meeting with Manchester City. Wenger has claimed his absence is due to a sore Achilles rather than bruised pride but the injury has allowed him to side-step the issue of whether he should keep faith with his error-prone goalkeeper.

The 37-year-old has already cost Arsenal dearly this season. He horribly mis-controlled a Gael Clichy back-pass on the opening weekend against Fulham, with David Healy capitalising on the error to stab in from close range, and then palmed a David Dunn shot into his own net to hand Blackburn a point at Ewood Park.