Standard Liege Preview: 2nd string side need to do the business 16 September, 2009

It’s the first game of the group stages tonight and it’s always important to get off to a good start. Well as I’m sure you are aware we are resting quite a few names for all different reasons. Walcott, van Persie, Denilson, Nasri, Arshavin, Djourou and Vela are all out, which is bad. However neither Fabianski or Almunia can make the trip leaving us very inexperienced between the posts. It means either Mannone or Szczesny will make their Champions League debut tonight, most likely to be the former.

Almunia is ‘sick’ according to Arsene Wenger but when you have you’re second choice ‘keeper out you still play you’re no.1 even if he has the flu or whatever. There’s a good chance he was dropped but you just wouldn’t do it when you know the next in line is either Mannone or Szczesny.

It’s quite scary but whoever starts in goal tonight is going to have to put in a great performance. We’ll have a first choice back four in front of them so they will have to do their best to try make it a quiet night for the ‘keeper.

So with all those names out, here’s how I think we could line up:

Mannone
Sagna – Gallas – Vermaelen – Clichy
Song
Fabregas (c) – Diaby
Eboue – Bendtner – Eduardo

Rosicky is in the squad but I don’t see Arsene Wenger picking him to start, as much as I would like to see that. Another option could be Jack Wilshere in that attacking role but it would be bringing even more inexperience to the side.

I don’t think that all these players missing the trip is because they are all injured. Wenger must feel that we can go to Liege and win with this squad. It’s fair to say they’re not the greatest opponents we’ve come up against in this competition and maybe Wenger sees this as a good opportunity to give players a rest before we try get back on track in the league this weekend.

If it goes wrong Wenger has it in for him but he’ll take it. We should do it but you never know when we’ve got a ‘keeper that’s never played at this level before.

We should be winning, with any side. I don’t want to be disrespectful or over confident but we’re a class above Standard Liege and anything less that three points is a bad return.

Enjoy the game and thanks for reading.