Wenger: Vermaelen must fight for a place

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned Thomas Vermaelen he cannot expect to be the first name on the team sheet simply because he is captain.

The Belgian centre-half was, along with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, left out against Bayern Munich in midweek, but could return for today’s trip to Swansea.

Despite the importance traditionally placed on the armband within the English game, Wenger insists his skipper must sometimes be prepared to make way for the good of the team.