Giggs not ready to write off Arsenal

SOCCER : RYAN GIGGS has stressed Manchester United will have more interest in maintaining their own impressive form than ending…

SOCCER: RYAN GIGGS has stressed Manchester United will have more interest in maintaining their own impressive form than ending Arsenal's Premier League title claims at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow.

A troublesome spell for Arsene Wenger's team has fuelled the notion that they will fall behind Liverpool, Chelsea and United long before the business end of the title race.

Giggs and his team-mates have an opportunity to inflict further damage this weekend but the 34-year-old believes it would be premature to discount Arsenal's challenge just yet.

"I don't think it's a case of us going there and finishing off their title hopes, when you look at the quality players Arsenal have got," said Giggs.

READ MORE

"They have got a few players out at the moment but all four top teams, if they are there or thereabouts, are capable of going on a run. That is always the case.

"The four of us are going to have losses of form and not get the results that we want. Hopefully we've had our poor spell and we can kick on now and finish the season strongly.

"Remember, we're also behind Chelsea and Liverpool, so we really can't afford any more mistakes ourselves. We will go there and try to win.

"I don't think we have won a game [away to the Arsenal] since they moved to the Emirates so it would be nice to do that."

Giggs captained United at Celtic Park on Wednesday night in their Champions League tie, a match in which he claimed a rare headed goal to secure a late draw.

Owing to his advanced years, the former Wales midfielder is no longer a fixture on the European champions' left flank, but is content to adapt his game.

"I'm playing a different role now after all those years on the wing and I'm enjoying it," he said. "I played just off the front in the first half and towards the left in the second half. I'm not an out-and-out winger any more and I accept that.

"I just tuck in and try and use my experience, really. I can still play out on the left and do a job but with the players we have got - Ji-Sung Park, Nani, Cristiano Ronaldo - they have got the pace and carry a counter-attacking threat.

"It is my job to feed those players."

Celtic, for their part, will learn today if Uefa, as expected, confirm today that their disciplinary unit will investigate a Celtic fan's appearance on the pitch during the Parkhead encounter.

A 19-year-old appeared in court in Glasgow yesterday in relation to the incident, which occurred 35 minutes into the game. A man ran 40 yards across the pitch unchallenged, before eventually being removed by police and stewards as play was halted.

Uefa will study the reports of the Norwegian referee, Tom Ovrebo, and the Swedish delegate, Gerhard Sager.

The affair represents an embarrassment to Celtic given that another of their fans ran from the crowd and mocked the Milan goalkeeper, Dida, in the same competition 13 months ago.

The Scottish champions were fined €30,000 on that occasion, with half suspended for a two-year period.

The club have launched their own investigation.

With Robin van Persie suspended for the next three matches as a result of his sending-off at Stoke City last Saturday, and Emmanuel Adebayor ruled out for three weeks because of an ankle injury, Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner is in line not only for a rare run of starts but also the responsibility of leading the line against United at the Emirates.

Arsene Wenger will make late decisions on the fitness of Theo Walcott, William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre.

The Arsenal manager was cheered to learn yesterday the Football Association in England would take no action against him for his controversial claim that Stoke City's players had set out to "deliberately" injure his own last Saturday yet the ramifications from that match continued to be felt.

Walcott's shoulder problem, sustained after a challenge from the Stoke midfielder Rory Delap, has put his chances of making the United game in the balance and if he falls short, Wenger's offensive options would be further restricted, leaving the inclusion of Bendtner an increasingly likely option.

Wenger has worries in defence, too. Gallas has hamstring trouble, Silvestre has a broken nose, and Bacary Sagna did not train yesterday and is a "slight concern" with the ankle injury he picked up against Stoke.

Manuel Almunia, the goalkeeper, is fit again after a stomach bug.