Wenger backs Chelsea Mutu sacking

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger today backed Chelsea’s decision to sack drug-taking striker Adrian Mutu.

Mutu was axed by the West London club today for gross misconduct after failing a random drug test.

And Chelsea have written off £12m (€17.3m) – the player’s current worth - because of their "zero-tolerance" policy to drug taking.

Before Wenger took charge at Highbury, Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson was given rehabilitation by the club when he appealed for help with his addiction to drugs, drink and gambling.

But Wenger applauded Chelsea’s stance and insisted they were right to terminate Mutu’s employment.

He said: “I do not know how guilty Mutu is but I agree with the high moral standards at the club.

“Players and sportsmen have a big responsibility and so therefore you cannot be against a decision like that.

“You have to analyse these things case by case. We had a case of Merson who came out and said ‘listen, I’m cocaine addicted, I want help’. So if a player comes out like that, can you just sack him? I feel if he wants help, you have to help him.

“But, in the case of Mutu, there was a split anyway before the drug problem happened. So maybe it was in the best interests of the two (Chelsea and Mutu) that they split.

“I don’t know how you control social drugs. At Arsenal we have our own internal rulebook but in a city like London it is threatening our kids now when they go to school.

“You can go on and on and on but it doesn’t stop them from doing it if they want to do it. We all have a choice of what we want to do when we go home.”

Of more immediate concern for Wenger is Sol Campbell’s recurring Achilles and calf problems.

England defender Sol Campbell is out Arsenal’s next two games and Wenger today admitted he is now very concerned about the injury which sidelined him at the start of the season.

Campbell will miss the Premiership game against Southampton at Highbury tomorrow and their Champions League clash with Panathinaikos next week.

Campbell has played just six games for the club and two for England this season after initially collecting the injury during his country’s Euro 2004 campaign. He aggravated it again during their fierce 2-0 defeat by Manchester United last Sunday.

Now Wenger has admitted that Campbell’s plight, which is believed to be related to a back problem, is beginning to worry him.

Wenger said: “Sol is certainly out of the game against Southampton and on Tuesday with a recurrence of the Achilles and calf muscle injury.

“This time it is higher up so it should be a much shorter recovery time. But I do worry that he might be out for a period of time.

“We gave him six weeks when he first collected the injury and it is disappointing and a little bit worrying that it comes back.

“But it is in an area which is much more flooded with blood so it will heal much better and quicker. I don’t think it will need surgery at the moment but I am just a bit concerned at the recurrence of it. He could play maybe in a week but for Tuesday night it will be a problem.”

Wenger was boosted however by the good news concerning defender Ashley Cole and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. Both will play against Southampton with Cole passing a fitness test today.

Ironically, Arsenal began their 49-match unbeaten Premiership run against tomorrow’s opponents Southampton.

But Wenger says that is of little consequence. He added: “What is important is that we are top of the league.

“It doesn’t look like that when we’ve had the week we’ve had. But if we want to have a big chance to win the Championship, we have to be strong at Highbury. We must focus on that tomorrow. History is history and what is important now is how we play tomorrow.”