Wenger waits for Reyes verdict

Already without Thierry Henry for Saturday’s FA Cup final, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger must now wait to discover whether Jose Antonio Reyes will win his fitness battle in time to take on Manchester United.

Yesterday Arsenal revealed Henry suffered a recurrence of an old Achilles injury during the 7-0 demolition of Everton last Wednesday and would therefore not feature in Cardiff.

Reyes netted against both Tottenham and Liverpool in recent weeks but did not feature in the 2-1 defeat at Birmingham on Sunday, with Wenger opting to rest the Spanish star and play Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie in attack.

“Reyes got a kick in training, so we have to assess him,” said Wenger.

There was, however, some positive news for Wenger as midfielder Freddie Ljungberg declared himself fit to play against United after returning from a hip problem to play against Birmingham.

“I think I will be available and I definitely hope so,” the 28-year-old Swede said.