Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said their packed schedule due to a Champions League play-off today is a plus for the London club,the match starts 7:45 pm Nigerian time...
The wider viewpoint of the side finishing fourth in England, and thus
forced to play a two-legged play-off to enter the European tournament's
group stages, is that the extra fixtures are unwanted burdens in an
already full-up fixture list.
Arsenal are in Turkey to tackle
Super Lig side Besiktas on Tuesday, but Wenger said his men were
embracing the chance to find form - despite having to back up at Everton
on Saturday.
"Every game you win makes you stronger and, on
that front, winning the games helps to gain confidence," Wenger told the
club's official website.
"The group still needs to grow and to
gain confidence we have to grow. [The play-off is] not affecting too
much my transfer policy. Financially it is a big game but it's not that
that's the most important [matter].
"We want to compete at the
top level, we want to fight against the best in Europe and that's the
real target of the competition tomorrow. It's more than the financial
consequences.
"We have always in the history of the club
adapted to our financial potential but what is very important is that we
want to play with the best. That's the real target of the qualifier."
Wenger also confirmed defender Kieran Gibbs was absent from the first
leg of the play-off due to a hamstring problem, while striker Yaya
Sanogo was also sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Midfielder Mathieu Flamini, meanwhile, overcame illness to join the squad.

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