Lauren out for rest of season

Arsenal have confirmed they will be without Lauren for the rest of the season after the defender underwent knee surgery yesterday.

Fellow defenders Pascal Cygan (hamstring), Ashley Cole (thigh), Gael Clichy (foot) and Kerrea Gilbert (back) are all still unavailable for the trip to Birmingham while Sol Campbell has been left out of the squad because of personal problems

Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue are still away on African Nations Cup duty but Emmanuel Adebayor has returned from that competition and Cesc Fabregas and Jose Antonio Reyes return from suspension.

Manager Arsene Wenger has also decided to rest Freddie Ljungberg and Robin van Persie but 16-year-old Theo Walcott, the January signing from Southampton, is included for the first time.

Provisional squad: Lehmann, Flamini, Djourou, Senderos, Larsson, Gilberto, Diaby, Fabregas, Reyes, Hleb, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry, Adebayor, Walcott, Almunia, Poom, Song.