Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann admitted on Monday being dropped by manager Arsene Wenger for the champions’ 3-0 win over Birmingham last weekend came as a bitter blow.
German international Lehmann, who has played 53 consecutive games for the north London club, is now set to miss Tuesday’s vital Champions League clash against Rosenborg at Highbury with his replacement against Birmingham, 27-year-old Spanish shot-stopper Manuel Almunia, likely to stay in the side.
”Arsene said I did not look the freshest to him. That’s it. To be honest, I was surprised at the decision to drop me. I don’t yet know how I am going to take it,” Lehmann told the London Evening Standard.
”I knew all along that if you have two or three bad games in the Premiership, you’re out. But except for my mistake in Athens [against Panathinaikos], I haven’t had anything to blame myself for.”
Meanwhile, Wenger said: ”I made what I thought was the right decision for the game against Birmingham and will make another decision for Rosenborg tomorrow.”
The Gunners have been linked with a £3-million move to lure Carlo Cudicini across London from Premiership leaders Chelsea when the transfer window reopens in January.
But the 31-year-old Italian, who has made just four first-team appearances since the pre-season arrival of Peter Cech, has insisted he wants to fight for his place at Stamford Bridge where he has been on the staff for five years.
Nevertheless, Cudicini would stand a strong chance of making it into the Arsenal starting line-up with Wenger having struggled to find a truly reliable ‘keeper since now-retired former England number one David Seaman moved to Manchester City. — Sapa-AFP