Wenger: Henry can lead the charge next season

Arsene Wenger is confident Arsenal will again see the best of injured captain Thierry Henry next season.

The Gunners stirker is set to spend the rest of the current campaign on the sidelines following injuries to his groin and stomach muscles suffered in Wednesday night’s Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven.

Wenger admitted before the match that his gamble on the fitness of the brilliant French forward could backfire badly following the best part of two weeks out.

And so it proved as Henry limped off at the final whistle, as the Gunners’ European dreams faded into the night along with him.

Henry, 29, has simply not be the same player this season, showing only flashes of his genius as the over-exertion of the last campaign, which ended at the World Cup final, returned to haunt him.

Wenger had been keen for the Frenchman to take a much-needed break, but would have rather it not been enforced, as with the latest setback.

The Gunners boss, though, will no doubt feel Henry will now return stronger and up to his best in time to lead the side into the new campaign.

“Thierry Henry will be out for a minimum of three months,” said Wenger, giving the depressing prognosis on his captain’s damaged groin and stomach muscles.

“Unfortunately this means he will now miss the rest of this season both domestically and internationally – but we are confident that he will be ready for the start of next season.”

With Wenger already missing leading scorer Robin van Persie to a broken metatarsal, he could also have done without Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor being given an additional one-match ban and fined £7,500 after being found guilty of “reacting aggressively and failing to leave the field of play immediately” in the Carling Cup final.

The fall-out from the mass brawl which at the Millennium Stadium is unlikely to stop there.

Arsenal have admitted a charge of failing to control their players and/or officials, with a personal hearing yet to be scheduled.

Wenger has also responded to an FA request to explain comments made about one of the assistant referees at the same match, as well as the FA’s own disciplinary procedures.

The Gunners boss is no stranger to Soho Square this season, with a date yet to be found for the inquest into Wenger’s outburst towards referee Steve Bennett which saw him sent to the stands at the Emirates Stadium during a Barclays Premiership game against Portsmouth in December.

It has hardly been the best fortnight for the north-London club, who have seen a campaign which earlier promised so much now seemingly in tatters.

With their FA Cup hopes also ended prematurely, all that is left for the beleaguered Gunners is to now focus on qualifying for next season’s Champions League by winning their tussle against Liverpool for third place in the Premiership.