Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has been ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Villarreal with a groin injury
. The 25-year-old picked up the problem on international duty with the Netherlands and missed Arsenal's 2-0 win over Manchester City on Saturday.
Samir Nasri (virus) and Theo Walcott (knee) have been passed fit. 
But
Eduardo (groin), Abou Diaby (thigh) and Tomas Rosicky 
remain sidelined and Andrey Arshavin is ineligible.
Van Persie is Arsenal's top scorer this season with 16 goals and helped the Gunners reach the last eight with the only goal in their last 16 first leg against Roma and a spot kick during the penalty shoot-out in the second leg.
Villarreal have injury problems of their own, with Spain winger Santi Cazorla set to miss the remainder of the season.
The influential 24-year-old fractured his fibula during his side's 3-0 defeat at Almeria.
Ruben Gracia (thigh) is in coach Manuel Pellegrini's line-up, while Turkey striker Nihat Kahveci is back to full fitness, but midfielder Bruno Sorriano is out.
Arsenal (from): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Nasri, Denilson, Fabregas, Walcott, Adebayor, Fabianski, Song, Silvestre, Djourou, Gibbs, Ramsey, Bendtner, Eboue, Vela, Merida, Wilshere.
BIG MATCH STATS
Villarreal and Arsenal have only met each other once - during the semi-finals of the 2005-06 Champions League campaign.
The Gunners won the first match at home (1-0), through a goal from Kolo Toure on 19 April 2006. A week later the return in Spain resulted in a goalless draw.
That season was the most successful for both clubs in the Champions League. Arsenal eventually lost the final against Barcelona (2-1) on 17 May 2006.
In five home matches, Villarreal are unbeaten against opponents from England (two wins, three draws).
Arsenal however have lost six of their 10 matches in Spain against Spanish opponents (won two, drawn two). The Londoners' last defeat in Spain was against Sevilla in a Champions League group match on 27 November 2007.
CLUB FORM
VILLARREAL
Never lost a home match in the CL (won four, drawn three).
Unbeaten in 15 European home matches, which is a club record.
Drawn their last two home games in European competition. If they do not beat Arsenal, the club will set a new record for most consecutive winless home matches in the Champions League.
ARSENAL
Making their 11th successive appearance in the CL main competition. Their best result was reaching the final in 2006 when they lost to Barcelona.
The Gunners have used 24 players already in this season's Champions League. Only Juventus and Real Madrid (both 25) have used more players.
KEY PLAYER NOTES
Villarreal substitutes have scored the most goals (six) of all CL teams. Joseba Llorente is their top scorer with four goals, and all four have been netted after coming off the bench That is the most of all players in this season's CL campaign. Last season, Dutchman Ryan Babel scored a record five goals as a substitute for Liverpool.
Pascal Cygan and Robert Pires have played for Arsenal before they joined Villarreal in 2006. Pires played 63 CL matches for the Gunners, scoring 11 goals. Cygan played 20 CL matches for the Gunners, without finding the net. Pires played in both matches against Villarreal in the semi-finals of the 2005-06 CL.
Ariel Ibagaza, Marcos Senna, Angel and Guillermo Franco will be suspended if booked.
Denilson is the only player that has played every minute for Arsenal during this season's Champions League.
Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor are the Gunners top scorers in the competition, with three goals each.
Van Persie has scored a total of nine goals in 30 matches for Arsenal in the Champions League. If he nets his 10th in this game, he will be the second fastest Gunner to score at least 10 goals in the Champions League for Arsenal, behind Thierry Henry, who needed 23 matches.
Arsenal have always won in the CL when Van Persie scores.
Abou Diaby and Van Persie will be suspended if booked.
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS FACTS
Arsenal and Villarreal both finished second in their group of this season's CL. Both clubs are also ranked fourth in their league table. That would mean that both clubs will play in the play-off round in next year's CL.
Author
Post time 7-4-2009 03:53 PM
?v=0
