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Camden Sports - by RICHARD OSLEY
Published: 19 February 2009

Eduardo ready for the fray

EDUARDO is ready for the crunch of top flight tackling despite spending nearly a year on the sidelines battling one of football’s worst injuries.
The Arsenal striker, who made an emotional return to first team duty on Monday night, could be thrown into action again in upcoming league matches against Sunderland and Fulham as the Gunners try to haul themselves back into contention for a place in next season’s Champions League.
While everybody is aware of the forward’s intricate skills and lethal finishing, manager Arsene Wenger insists Eduardo will not shy away from the physical side of the Premiership.
There had been fears for Eduardo’s career in February last year when a horrific tackle by Birmingham’s Martin Taylor left the striker with a fractured left fibula and an open dislocation of his left ankle. But Winger insists that the injury has not left Eduardo fearful of rolling up his sleeves and fighting for the ball.
The Gunners boss said: “He made a big step forward two weeks ago, where you could see he had found sharpness in front of goal and with his runs. It’s nine months out but he’s been extremely strong mentally. I never once saw a minute where he said: ‘No, I don’t want to do it.’”
In a two-goal man of the match performance, Eduardo was sliding around and fighting for every 50/50 challenge against Cardiff at the Emirates Stadium. The player said it was one of the best days of his life and thanked his family and the Arsenal medical team for their support.
“He’s small but he has the mental strength of a mountain,” said Wenger. “He is intelligent on the pitch and responds quickly to what’s happening.
“I’m convinced that he wanted to show that he doesn’t hide in front of tackling.”
No manager likes ruling his team out of the championship race, but the Gunners can hardly see Manchester United’s coat-tails, so speedily are Wenger’s famous old rivals burning away into the distance.
Wenger said of his team’s chances of turnaround: “Our priority is to get in the Champions League. United’s results are really consistent. Let’s say they lose one against us, they would still need to lose four more matches, which they haven’t done.
“We promised ourselves to keep working hard till the end of the season but Man United look untouchable.”

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