Thierry Henry, Injuries, The Next Batch Of Arsenal Games

I finally find time to blog again and the thing most of the football world is talking about is Arsenal legend Thierry Henry's handball when creating the goal which took France through to the World Cup at the expense of the Republic of Ireland.

I hate international football, so this will probably be one of the few times I discuss it here. Henry did handle the ball and admitted as much this morning. The question I will ask is what exactly should he have done after the ball struck his hand? Told the referee? Really? Would an Irish player have done that? Would anyone? And calls for a replay are ridiculous and sets an unworkable precedent. But that won't stop newspapers filling column inches until the next hot topic comes along.

Like the Eduardo thing earlier this season it is a hysterical over reaction and unless you are willing to actually do something about it such as introduce video evidence and help the referees make the correct decision then these things will happen again and again. You cannot tell players they must win, they must do their best to win, do all they can to win then if they do something you don't like condemn them.

It's a shame as Henry has always had a reputation as one of the more honest footballers out there but he showed when the pressure is on people will do whatever it takes to win. Here's a nice little poem about it. And that's my lot on bloody international football.

Right on to the injury situation, which has been made much worse by...the past ten days...and bloody international football. Losing RvP, probably until after Christmas, is a massive blow, not only because he has been scoring but he has also been bringing the best out of those around him, especially Cesc. Eduardo, who yesterday signed a new contract, is the most likely replacement and I have faith that he can do a job there. In my view his finishing is first class, but what we need from him and where RvP has been so good is holding the ball up and bringing others into the game. I think Eduardo is better in this department than many give him credit for. We shall see. But let's hope he does stay fit or we will really be screwed if he is out.

Diaby is also injured. A more predictable sentence you will not read this year. "A few weeks" is the initial diagnosis. I know opinion is split about Diaby but I would rather have him fit than not, especially taking into account other injuries.

Kieran Gibbs is also out but not for as long as feared. Initial fears about a broken foot were wrong and it is just bad bruising, so the absence will be "short term." Fortunately this is one area where we do have decent cover so if fit, Traore should probably play on Saturday or if not Silvestre, which is slightly scarier.

Denilson may be back in time for Saturday, along with Carlos Vela but Walcott is probably not back until Chelsea the following week.

The injury situation has got a bit overwhelming again, indeed Physio Room has us top of the injury league with 11 players out. Well we are joint top with Everton but I think we will see their challenge off.

I keep going on about injuries but they will be crucial this season. Who is injured, how long for, how we cope without them. We will find out in the next 6 weeks I guess. The injuries have got worse just as we begin a spell of 9 games in 28 days, including Chelsea at home and Liverpool away.

I like to break the season down into batches of games, the last one coming between international breaks and this one running from this international break until Christmas. We performed well in the last batch of games between international breaks, winning five out of seven games with just the disappointing draws at AZ and West Ham the only disappointments. The draws came in quick succession and it is often the case with Wenger's Arsenal that one bad result follows another. So it's crucial to keep the momentum going for as long as possible and increase the confidence and belief in the team.

Wenger commented this week how big psychology is to him and his team's preparation here and of particular interest he says:

“For it to work, players must take themselves available for the ball,” he told French radio.

"That’s where top-level sport becomes really interesting, in finding a way to have the team in a position of psychological comfort so that they can offer solutions.

“Because you know that, when doubt creeps in, the green lights become red lights.

“Because each player takes fewer spontaneous initiatives and, all of a sudden, it’s absolutely unbelievable at what speed all those lights become red and the player with the ball finds himself in the s***."

As I say above, this has manifested itself many times in the past. One bad result has led to another and another. When the unbeaten run ended more defeats followed. But I have faith that the players that are still fit can keep the run going. Firstly with Saturday's trip to Sunderland which I will hope to cover tomorrow. Until then, keep your hands away from any balls.