Henry forced to bide his time

Thierry Henry set his sights on finally putting his persistent groin injury behind him as he revealed he played through the pain barrier at the end of last season.

At one point, Henry was so troubled by an inflammation of his groin that he could not even walk some mornings.

Now he has been forced to rest completely for a fortnight before then starting his rehabilitation, with Arsene Wenger not expecting him to return to action for another month.

Henry, who is still one goal away from equalling Ian Wright’s club record mark, admitted: “I’m not in a rush for the record, it’s more frustrating that I can’t help the team. It’s painful. I watched the 2-1 defeat against Middlesbrough from home.

“I’ve had the injury since the beginning of the season and I was hoping that the pain would go away but it hasn’t, so eventually I had to stop to see if I can get rid of the inflammation and come back in a better shape.

“The physios have told me I will be out for about three weeks to a month but you never know, I might come back better.“

Henry added in the club’s official programme: “I need to start to take a bit of care of my body because I used to play through pain, even when I couldn’t walk in the morning.

“That wasn’t doing me any good at the end of last season. So this time I hope I will be strong at the end of this season through being out at the moment.“

Arsene Wenger revealed his intention to use Henry’s enforced absence as an opportunity to start formal talks over a new contract, with his current deal set to run out in the summer of 2007.

“It is a good opportunity and we will certainly try to use it. Our intention is clear and I’m convinced he will stay here,” confirmed the Arsenal boss.

Henry will miss not only Monday night’s game against Everton, but also the second Champions League group tie away to Ajax, for which Robin van Persie will be suspended, on September 27.

UEFA’s control and disciplinary committee have confirmed the Dutchman faces a one-match ban for ’serious foul play’ in catching FC Thun defender Alen Orman in the face with a raised boot in midweek.

Van Persie responded: “I am disappointed to have received a one-match suspension following the game on Wednesday night.

“I felt, at worst, the incident was a foul. I don’t even think it was a yellow card offence. Of course, I am really sorry that Alen Orman was hurt but it was purely accidental.

“I would never deliberately try to injure another player. Anyone who has seen the incident can see that my only intention was to win the ball.

“My eyes were always on the ball, never on the player, and there was absolutely no malice in my actions whatsoever.

“I feel I shouldn’t have to miss a match because I do not think I should have been sent off in the first place, but of course I have to accept it.“