Kanu pleads to face Liverpool

Steve Stammers13 April 2012

Nwankwo Kanu has made a personal plea to the Nigerian Football Association to delay his call-up to his national squad so he can play for Arsenal against Liverpool in nine days' time.

Kanu was supposed to report this weekend as Nigeria prepare for the African Nations Cup tournament in Mali which starts at the end of the month and that would have ruled him out of the clash with Liverpool at Highbury.

Arsenal are already without three key players through suspension for that match - Ashley Cole, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst and Ray Parlour.

To be without Kanu and Lauren - wanted by Cameroon in Mali - would be a big worry for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. But Wenger now believes that Kanu will be available. "He wants to stay for the game against Liverpool and he has told the Nigerians that he wants to stay. I think he will now report after the match against Liverpool."

It is less clear whether Lauren will be able to face Liverpool.

He has an ankle injury that ruled him out of tomorrow's FA Cup third-round tie at Watford and will not be able to resume training until the middle of next week.

He originally told the Cameroon authorities that, like Kanu, he wanted to report on 14 January but he may now report on schedule and be sent back to Arsenal for treatment.

If he responds to treatment at Highbury, he might get the allclear to face Liverpool.

The other encouraging news for Wenger this week concerned England goalkeeper David Seaman.

He saw a specialist on Wednesday and has been given the allclear to resume training next week.

"He should be ready in three or four weeks," said Wenger. But Richard Wright will have to wait to reclaim his place from Stuart Taylor after jarring his knee in training and is out of contention for a place on the bench at Vicarage Road. Graham Stack will be on the bench.

Wenger is likely to partner Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp as a front line partnership against Watford with Oleg Luzhny continuing as the deputy for Lauren at right back for what the Arsenal manager called "a tricky tie".

He said: "Watford will be tough but my team know that they have several players of Premiership quality. We will be focused, try to dictate the tempo and be ready for it."

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