How much will Arsenal miss Robin Van Persie against Manchester United?
The news out of The Emirates this morning that the Dutch striker will miss the first leg of the Champions League semi-final will be a bitter blow for Arsene Wenger as he begins his preparations for Wednesday night. While there’s good news at the back with Manuel Almunia resuming training, the lack of a cutting edge will be a real problem. For Arsenal to have any chance of making the Rome final, they will need to get an away goal in Manchester and without Van Persie, or in fact the cup-tied Andrei Arshavin, this becomes much harder. Theo Walcott’s recent return has been a much-needed boost but he doesn’t open up defences in the way Van Persie does. His absence could cost the Gunners dearly.
