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Cesc Fabregas ruled out of Porto clash
Times Online
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(AFP PHOTO/OLLY GREENWOOD)
Cesc Fabregas celebrates his goal against Burnley. He had to be substituted later
div#related-article-links p a, div#related-article-links p a:visited {color:#06c;} Cesc Fabregas has been ruled out of the Champions League second leg clash against FC Porto tomorrow after failing to recover from a hamstring injury.
The Spain midfielder limped out of Saturday's 3-1 Premier League win over Burnley with a recurrence of a problem that has hampered him this season and was unable to train this morning. "We cannot even take a gamble, so he is not available," Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said.
Arsenal need to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit to to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals and Fabregas has scored and set up more goals than any other Arsenal player this season.
Wenger had said earlier that he would not risk the Spaniard if there was "more than a 50 per cent chance" of him breaking down.
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Fabregas scored his 17th goal of the season in Arsenal's fourth straight Premier League win before departing in the 39th minute. Abou Diaby replaced Fabregas on Saturday and is likely to replace his captain again on Tuesday.
Sol Campbell scored Arsenal's goal in Portugal two weeks ago and is again set to play, with William Gallas ruled out because of injury.
Manuel Almunia is back in action and should start in goal ahead of Lukasz Fabianski, whose error led to Porto's opening goal. Fabianski also picked up Campbell's pass to concede the free kick that led to the winning goal.