Wenger fears second Gerrard bid from Blues

Arsene Wenger has warned Liverpool they may not have heard the last of Chelsea’s interest in snapping up inspirational Anfield skipper Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard, 24, recently signed a new deal with Liverpool following interest from Chelsea during the summer - and Wenger would not be surprised if the Stamford Bridge outfit were to come in for him again.

“Chelsea will, sooner or later, take who they want, so that might mean it is only a temporary decision. I don’t know,” he said.

However the Arsenal manager maintained he was not concerned about the Blues trying to lure away any of his top men during the January transfer window.

“It is not a worry. We don’t need any money,” declared Wenger.

“Our players are committed to the club and we share something here which is special and we aspire to become stronger and bigger, and the players are part of that.

“I find it exciting and interesting to fight against a team who has a much bigger potential financially and then still to beat them.”

Wenger admits Arsenal face a “key game” at Liverpool tomorrow and knows his players will have to remain focused against a side looking to recapture their own form.

The Reds have a game in hand on the sides above them in the Barclays Premiership, but are currently five points adrift of the top four, and some 11 behind the second-placed Gunners.

Rafael Benitez’s side have lost their last two matches, going down 2-0 at Middlesbrough and then seeing hopes of making the last 16 of the Champions League take a knock after they were beaten in Monaco on Tuesday night.

Skipper Gerrard may now be back in first-team contention, but the Anfield treatment room remains busy with Djimi Traore, Luis Garcia and Josemi joining long-term casualties Milan Baros, Djibril Cisse and Vladimir Smicer on the sidelines.

Wenger, though, wants his team to concentrate on their own game, rather than what tactics Liverpool might be planning to deploy.

“I feel they have a patch where they are certainly not at their best,” reflected the Arsenal manager. “But I feel it is down to us as to how well we play to take advantage and not let them gain confidence again.

“They have just lost against Middlesbrough and in Monaco – but are still in it in the Champions League – if they win at home they can go through.

“And in the Premiership too, they have a game in hand and if they win that, they are still not out of it, so it is a big game.

“For us, it was always a key game [against] Liverpool, in our memories. Last year we won away there, we won at home when we were 2-1 down and the year before we won with 10 men, so it was always surprisingly a key game and looks like it can be again, which can have a big impact on the season of both teams.”

Wenger has some injury concerns of his own, with Thierry Henry, who is rated as “70/30”, Robin van Persie and Jose Antonio Reyes all set for late fitness tests.

Henry has admitted he has been playing at only “70%” capacity during recent weeks because of a niggling Achilles injury, but Wenger declared: “I feel that he is playing very well.

“In the last game, he was a real team player. He tackled back well and was influential, because of the goal he scored.”

Including internationals, the Frenchman has played close to 90 games since the start of last season.

Wenger added: “One day I almost decided to rest him, and then the closer I got to Saturday, the weaker that [intention] was, so I will just put a cross on a calendar at some stage and say ’I do not play him’, then on that date I will do it.

“It is down to his basic health and it is down to the way he lives as well. He is always improving, becoming more mature and responsible.”

Arsenal are set to sign 21-year-old Ivory Coast defender Manu Eboue during the January transfer window, the Gunners having a “technical relationship” with the Belgian First Division side Beveren.

And Wenger revealed he is also keen to get the future of some of his current squad sorted sooner rather than later, particularly that of Brazilian midfielder Edu, currently out injured, whose contract expires over the summer.

“We will sign Eboue and, unless we find an outstanding player, it depends then on who will go and who will stay,” said Wenger.

“I want to sort Edu’s situation out. We need Edu, but if he cannot sort his situation out, then of course that would be a major issue and we might have to find somebody, but I hope we can sort that out before January.

“I do not want to make any money with Edu, I want him to sign, but if he refuses to sign, and says to me ’I want to go’, then of course I cannot let him go until I find somebody. So at the moment I think 80% we will sort the situation out, and get him to sign a contract.”