Almunia admits to ‘difficult start to the season’

STAND-IN Arsenal captain Manuel Almunia has admitted he had “a difficult start to the season” after a family bereavement left the Spanish goalkeeper “very low”.

With Cesc Fabregas sidelined because of a hamstring problem, the 32-year-old Spanish goalkeeper is set to take the armband for tonight’s clash against Porto at Emirates Stadium, when Arsenal must overturn a 2-1 deficit to advance to the last eight.

Almunia – who missed the first leg through injury – was sidelined by a chest infection earlier in the campaign, which followed a family bereavement.