Fabregas ruled out of Carling Cup final
Fabregas limped off after just 14 minutes of Wednesday night’s 1-0 Premier League win over Stoke, and will miss the clash with Birmingham at Wembley when Arsenal will seek to win a first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup.
“It is a very small injury but certainly Cesc will be out for Sunday,” Wenger said.
“For how long (beyond that) I don’t know, but definitely for Sunday.
“He is disappointed. We all feel sorry and sad for him. The only way we help him now is to win the Carling Cup as he contributed a lot in this competition.”
Wenger would not be drawn on the chances of Fabregas being fit for the second leg of Arsenal’s Champions League tie with Barcelona on March 8.
“It is very difficult to give a deadline,” Wenger added. “It is impossible.”
The news is a particular disappointment for Fabregas who had initially defiantly insisted he would do everything in his power to make sure that he leads Arsenal out at Wembley.
Fabregas said on his Twitter page: “I don’t know if I’ll make Sunday or not, but all I know is that from this moment to Sunday I won’t sleep if it’s necessary. I’ve waited too long to captain a final for Arsenal and I won’t give up till the last second.”
Theo Walcott will also miss the Carling Cup final after being carried off on a stretcher in the Stoke game.
“I saw him this morning,” Wenger added. “He has a classic ankle sprain. We don’t think there is any more damage to it, but it is still a sprain.
“We are sad for him too. He is out for Sunday and maybe one or two weeks more.”
On the plus side for the Gunners Robin van Persie, Laurent Koscielny and Abou Diaby, all of whom missed the win over Stoke, are expected to be available for Sunday.
Van Persie had a hamstring problem, Koscielny had a back injury while Diaby was both suspended and struggling with a calf complaint.
“All the three will be available,” said Wenger. “That’s the good news. And everybody else is all right from the Stoke game too.”
Meanwhile Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has hit out at Arsenal over their pursuit of academy player Jon Toral, describing it as “a little immoral”.
Midfielder Toral, who turned 16 earlier this month, has been brought up through Barca’s famous La Masia youth system now looks set to follow in the footsteps of Fabregas and swap the Catalan giants for the Gunners.
Rosell blasted: “We told the Arsenal directors that we knew they were after Toral and we told them we didn’t like it — as any president would have said.
“Legally they have done nothing wrong but it’s a little immoral.
“For us it’s very important to keep this group of kids who have grown up together in La Masia.
“We don’t like it that clubs come in with offers of money just before they turn 16.
“There are two philosophies; ours is to invest in La Masia and the other is to fish all over Europe for kids of 15 like Arsenal.”
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