New Delhi: The Russian playmaker has all the mental resources to adapt quickly to the rigours of the Premier League, according to his manager at the Emirates.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels that Andrey Arshavin will adapt quickly to the rigours of the Premier League, despite being short of match practice. Wenger's confidence is based on the playmaker's first-rate mentality.
The Russian, signed from Zenit St. Petersburg in one of this January window's more dramatic transfer sagas, could be in line to make his Gunners debut on Saturday against Sunderland, although Wenger is still ruminating on whether or not to start with him, as he is short on match fitness due to it currently being the close season in Russia.
"Yes (I think that) because he has personality and a strong character,” the Frenchman told the club's official website regarding Arshavin's ability to settle into the squad.
"The handicap he has at the moment is that he is not completely fit physically, but all the rest should be quite quick. He is maybe a week short to be completely fit to play at his best. He had three weeks preparation - two weeks with us and one week with Zenit - so that’s not too bad."
"But we will take the needed time. We will not put him under pressure, if he needs a bit longer he takes a bit longer. But at the moment we have many players in that area injured like (Ces) Fabregas, like (Tomas) Rosicky, like (Theo) Walcott. So there is a position to take as a creative midfielder."
As for which position Arshavin would occupy in the side, Wenger felt that another strength of the player was his flexibility.
"Any position – right, left or behind the strikers," he added.
"He can integrate well our combination game. He can move very well, he is very mobile so that is something we work on as well. He is a clever passer of the ball and that is something you need in every big team to open teams up. I have not yet decided if he will start, I will decide that tomorrow morning. But he is in the squad for tomorrow and we will see."
"You have to give everybody who comes in time to adapt, to adjust. However, I know his vision, his passing ability, his quick brain and they are very important things in the modern game."
Meanwhile, Wenger was also remaining upbeat about striker Eduardo, who made a dramatic return to senior action on Monday night, scoring two goals against Cardiff City in the UEFA Cup, before limping out of the action with a hamstring injury.
"It is a shame because he got injured two minutes before I took him off," Wenger continued. In fairness, Robin van Persie was waiting for about three minutes on the touchline for the ball to go out. It is not a bad injury, he will miss two weeks, certainly the two Roma games and the championship games we have in between, that means Sunderland, Fulham and West Brom."
"But I believe overall the situation is very positive because Eduardo managed to convince everybody that he will be back as a player for Arsenal Football Club, that is the most important thing. In the short term we are a little disappointed, but he will be back."
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