Arsenal goalkeeper to make debut

Rami Shaaban will make his Arsenal goalkeeping debut in place of the injured David Seaman in the Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven at Highbury tomorrow and could put down a marker for his first-team future.

England veteran Seaman, 39, strained a groin muscle in the closing moments of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle and may also miss the north London derby clash with Tottenham on Saturday.

Some will see this as the latest threat to Seaman’s career following the huge debate over his alleged errors in recent games for both England and Arsenal, although manager Arsene Wenger says: “He’s not out of the Tottenham game and today the injury did not look too bad although I have to concede he is doubtful for the weekend.”

But, perhaps significantly, Wenger has picked Shaaban, the Swedish--born Egyptian goalkeeper, 27, who joined Arsenal in a freedom-of-contract move from Swedish side Djurgardens in the summer after a series of trials, to deputise tomorrow rather than 21-year-old Stuart Taylor.

Taylor has been the most regularly selected for the substitutes’ bench since Richard Wright left for Everton at the beginning of the campaign and played the full 90 minutes in last Wednesday’s Worthington Cup defeat by Sunderland.

“Shaaban is a very good keeper with a good leap and good hands and we need to take a look at him in a high competitive match,” said Wenger.

“If Seaman is still out against Tottenham I will have another decision to make between Shaaban and Taylor to see who replaces him, but David will report to the England squad next week if they want

him, although I don’t think he will be training with them.”

Meanwhile Sol Campbell, who only just passed a fitness test on a back injury for the Newcastle game, is also left out of tomorrow‘s European tie and striker Dennis Bergkamp is also likely to be rested having only recently emerged from a spell on the sidelines with Achilles trouble.

Latvian Igors Stepanovs will replace Campbell but right back Lauren is still out with an ankle problem, and striker Kanu is missing again with a knee injury that could also keep him out against Spurs.

And Wenger is ready to make several changes from Saturday even though he insists Arsenal, who are already assured of a place in the second round of the Champions League, want to finish top of Group A with another win.

“We want to finish top for our pride and confidence,” he said. “We have got back to a winning habit and we want to keep it. But we will have to play well against Eindhoven who are a good side and want to qualify in third place for the UEFA Cup.

“We beat them 4-0 in Holland but they created some great chances when we were only one up and we will have to be very careful about them at Highbury.”

Francis Jeffers, the former Everton striker, is likely to be Thierry Henry’s partner up front, having scored in his only previous start this season against Sunderland.

Robert Pires and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, both coming back from cruciate knee ligament operations last season, look certain starters as well, with Sylvain Wiltord, Saturday’s match-winner and Brazilian midfielder Gilberto probably taking a rest.

Team (from): Shaaban, Luzhny, Stepanovs, Cygan, Cole, Vieira, Gilberto, Ljungberg, Bergkamp, Henry, Toure, Jeffers, Pennant, Edu, Pires, van Bronckhorst, Wiltord, Tavlaridis, Taylor.