Birthday start for Fabianski

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made four changes to his side for the Premier League clash at Wigan as the Gunners attempted to keep their title hopes alive.

On his 25th birthday, Lukasz Fabianski starts his first league game since the end of last season with Manuel Almunia out with a wrist injury.

Mikael Silvestre replaces Thomas Vermaelen, out for the rest of the season with a calf strain, whilst Theo Walcott and Craig Eastmond have stepped in for Emmanuel Eboue and Denilson, the latter sidelined with a groin problem.

Wenger has resisted the temptation to start Robin van Persie, despite his superb return in the 2-1 midweek defeat at Spurs when he came on as a sub for the final 22 minutes after five months out with ankle ligament damage, as he is again named on the bench.

Relegation-threatened Wigan show two changes from their goalless draw at home to Portsmouth on Wednesday, with Marcelo Moreno and Ben Watson replacing the benched Paul Scharner and Jason Scotland.

Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Gohouri, Bramble, Figueroa, Rodallega, Diame, Watson, McCarthy, N’Zogbia, Moreno.

Subs: Stojkovic, Scharner, Scotland, Moses, Gomez, Sinclair, Boyce.

Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Campbell, Silvestre, Clichy, Walcott, Eastmond, Diaby, Nasri, Rosicky, Bendtner.

Subs: Mannone, van Persie, Vela, Eboue, Traore, Merida, Henderson.

Referee: Lee Mason.