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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Wenger wary of Thun threat

/noticias.info/ Arsenal FC manager Arsène Wenger expects his players to react to their recent away defeats in the English Premiership with extra determination when they meet Swiss newcomers FC Thun in their opening UEFA Champions League Group B encounter at Highbury on Wednesday.

Reverse boost
Disappointed with successive away losses to Chelsea FC and, last Saturday, Middlesbrough FC, Wenger said he believed these results provided added stimulus for his team. "The fact we lost on Saturday will help a lot," he said. "We are not in a period when we could suffer from over-confidence or from taking our opponents a little bit lightly. We know it is important for us to come back with a positive result after our disappointing result at Middlesbrough."

'Exceptional' achievement
Seeking to improve on a record that shows they have never gone beyond the quarter-finals as they begin their eighth consecutive Champions League campaign, Arsenal know they must treat Thun with respect. "Theirs is a fantastic achievement and it deserves our respect," said Wenger. "To qualify as they have done is exceptional."

Rapid rise
Thun finished runners-up to FC Basel 1893 in the Swiss Football League last season and reached the group stage for the first time by disposing of FC Dynamo Kyiv and Malmö FF. Only nine years ago the Swiss club were playing amateur third division football in front of crowds of just 100, but Wenger is aware of their present menace. He added: "They have several Brazilians and some Serbo-Montenegrins as well as two exceptional Swiss players and they are a very good team. Thun must be respected by us for what they have done."

Injury worries
Wenger said Arsenal would be without striker Thierry Henry, who is out for six weeks with a groin strain, and suspended goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who will be replaced by Manuel Almunia. Defender Sol Campbell is poised to return for his first appearance of the campaign, while midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg is also available after being rested at Middlesbrough.

Vieira effect
Brazilian midfielder Gilberto said the team missed the authority of departed captain Patrick Vieira. He insisted the remaining senior players now had to "push the youngsters up" and encourage them to join in collective play. "They must not go to the pitch and play individually," he said.

Arsenal allegiance
Thun coach Urs Schönenberger, an Arsenal fan since the age of nine, is preparing to put his personal allegiances aside as he plots another unexpected triumph. "We really want to show that we're not here just to be cannon fodder," he said. "We will defend and play as a unit very solidly, but we will also attack and look for a goal. We are not going to sit back to build a defensive wall and create nothing but a block."

Third the aim
Having guided his side through the qualifying rounds against the odds, Schönenberger hopes to make his first-ever visit to Highbury - the fulfilment of a lifelong dream - a nightmare for the hosts. "Nobody thought we could win against Dynamo or Malmö - but we did," said the coach, who has captain Andreas Gerber back after injuries to each heel. "It is my goal for us to finish third in the group, and don't forget that a few seasons ago Basel lost 6-2 [to Valencia CF] in a group game, but still got through." notas_de_prensa_archivo