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.

Wenger has options in goal, with Lukasz Fabianski, the Pole, yet to make his club debut following a £3m move from Legia Warsaw, but while Almunia has the chance to impress against Sven Goran Eriksson’s table-topping side tomorrow, Wenger’s faith in Lehmann — in public, at least — remains unshaken.

“It is not a question of dropping your goalkeeper after so many mistakes: you either have confidence in him or you do not,” he said. “I feel that apart from the mistakes he has had good games in the last few weeks. The mistake at Blackburn was the first time I have seen him make such a mistake and mainly he is 100 per cent secure.

“Almunia will play against Manchester City. Last season, when he played, he played very well. He is reassuring, mature and has all the attributes you need to be successful.

“It was a close decision at the start of the year between the two of them because Almunia did well last season but Jens had the advantage of experience and playing more games. I am still convinced he is top drawer.”

Wenger also confirmed that a resolution to his new contract negotiations is in sight, although he conceded that “small problems” have delayed an agreement. Arsenal’s board, who have offered their long-serving manager a three-year deal worth around £15m, had hoped to reach a settlement by the start of next week, but that now seems unlikely.

“There is no update but there will be news soon,” Wenger confirmed yesterday at the launch of Arsenal’s official charity, the Tree House School for autistic children. The Frenchman also shrugged off speculation that the delay over his new deal was due to his insistence that David Dein, the former Arsenal vice-chairman who left the club acrimoniously in April, should return to the board.

“It is not to do with David Dein,” he added. “I am friends with him but my contract situation is not connected with him.”