Fellow defenders Ashley Cole (thigh), Gael Clichy (foot), Pascal Cygan (hamstring), Lauren (knee), Kerrea Gilbert (back) are all out.

El-Hadji Diouf, Abdoulaye Faye, Jay-Jay Okocha and Radhi Jaidi could return for Bolton after African Nations Cup duty.

Kevin Davies (ankle) faces a fitness test but Khalilou Fadiga, Ivan Campo, Gary Speed and Henrik Pedersen are out.



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Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Flamini, Senderos, Djourou, Song, Larsson, Fabregas, Gilberto, Diaby, Reyes, Hleb, Henry, Adebayor, Almunia, Ljungberg, Pires, Bergkamp, Lupoli, Muamba, Connolly.

Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Hunt, Ben Haim, N'Gotty, Jaidi, Gardner, Giannakopoulos, Faye, Okocha, Nakata, Nolan, Diouf, Davies, Jansen, Walker, Vaz Te, Borgetti.



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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger:
"At the moment the most important thing is to win on Saturday.
"It is much more important to come back we have a good opportunity to come back into the Champions League.

"Liverpool are only five points away from us and Tottenham are four points away and we have a game in hand."


Bolton boss Sam Allardyce:
"Fourth spot at the end of the season could be up for grabs and it's vital we start picking up wins.
"If we are going to sustain our push for a Champions League place, then we must turn our draws into three points.

"We still have two games in hand on some teams. Maybe this year we will be able to take advantage of the vulnerability of some of the top clubs."



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BIG-MATCH FACTS


ARSENAL meet their bogey club Bolton for the third time this season and are seeking a first goal and first win. It was a fortnight ago when the Trotters released the Gunners' grip on the FA Cup at the Reebok through a solitary score from Stelios Giannakopoulos. Now they're looking for all three points from Highbury to leapfrog the Londoners in the Premiership table. But Arsene Wenger's side, who are two places and two points superior, and desperate to close the four-point gap on arch rivals Spurs in fourth place to keep in touch with the Champions League qualifying places.

Since their 13-game winning run in home Premiership matches was brought to an end by Chelsea on 18 December, the Gunners have only won every other game on home territory, and if that pattern is to be extended they must beat Bolton. Arsenal find themselves third in the Premier League's "home" table, although only Chelsea have won more games and scored more goals on their own patch. Liverpool lie second in that table, who the Gunners meet at Anfield next Tuesday, ahead of the Champions League trip to Real Madrid seven days later.

The Gunners have won eight and drawn two of the last 10 home League matches against the Trotters. When the pair last met at Highbury in September 2004, four goals were shared. It was the first time the Londoners dropped points last season, after a Henrik Pedersen goal five minutes from time denied Wenger's side another victory.

BOLTON WANDERERS are on a five-match unbeaten streak in the top tier, and are yet to lose in any competition in 2006, although they're without a win in four League games on the road and six points outside the top four.

The Trotters have weighed in with their best ever points return to this stage of a Premiership season. Although they're away League record from 12 outings is won four, drawn four and lost four, Wanderers are second only to Chelsea in top flight clean sheets away from home. The champions have managed six - Bolton five.

Wanderers have won their last two matches against Arsenal, but have never won a Premiership match at Highbury, and this is their last opportunity. The Trotters knocked the Gunners out of the FA Cup when they last won at the north London stadium in 1994. Their last League victory there was 1-2 on 13 January 1962, when they completed the 'double' over Arsenal for only the third time in their history.


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REFEREE:
Howard Webb (South Yorkshire)


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SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

ARSENAL


Club stats
Fixtures
5th 40 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's games: 5th
Lowest could realistically fall: 7th

Not managed back-to-back victories in six Premiership outings, since beating Charlton (0-1 a) and Portsmouth (4-0 h) on Boxing Day and 28 December respectively.
Kept clean sheets in six of the last eight Premiership matches.
The current tally of 40 points after 24 games is Arsenal's lowest in the Premier League since they garnered just 29 in the 1994/95 campaign.
Scored 38 goals in the top table. Only Chelsea (52) and Manchester United (49) have found the net more often. ?
Shipped just 19 top flight goals. Only Chelsea (13) and Liverpool (17) can better that.
Completed 14 Premiership matches since a score draw (1-1, away to Tottenham on 29 October).
Netted more goals in the first quarter of top divison encounters than any other club (11).
Scored more goals in the last 10 minutes of highest League clashes than any other club (10).
Awarded more penalties in Premiership matches this season than any other club, but only three of their six spot kicks have been converted.

Scored nine goals in last two home League games, but won only one of them - beating Middlesbrough 7-0 on 14 January, then losing 2-3 to West Ham on 1 February.
BOLTON WANDERERS


Club stats
Fixtures
7th 38 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's games: 5th
Lowest could fall: 8th

Undefeated in seven in all competitions.
Won three and drawn four, since losing 4-1 at Manchester United in the Premiership on New Year's Eve.
Unbeaten in five Premiership matches (one win, four draws).
Lost one of 10 top tier encounters since the beginning of December - the defeat being 4-1 against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 31 December.
The Trotters previous best after the first 23 games of a Premiership season was 32 points in the season before last.
Posted 33 points after the first 24 matches in each of the last two Premier League saesons.
Scored fewer goals than any other club in the top half of the Premiership table.
Finished all square eight times. Only Aston Villa have more draws in the top table (nine).

Drawn three of the last four away League games - two were goalless.


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KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

ARSENAL


Squad profiles

Thierry HENRY is the second highest scoring Premiership player of the season with 19 - two behind Ruud Van Nistelrooy. He's also three behind the Manchester United striker in the race for the Barclays Golden Boot with 15.
12 of Henry's 15 League goals this season have been scored at home.
Goalkeeper Jens LEHMANN is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Arsenal's Premiership matches this season.
If involved, Phillippe SENDEROS will be playing three days before his 21st birthday.
BOLTON WANDERERS


Squad profiles

If he plays, Gary SPEED will be extending the Premiership appearance record to 471 (Leeds, Everton, Newcastle and Bolton), and will be making his 550th appearance in English top flight football.
Goalkeeper Jussi JAASKELAILEN is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Bolton's Premiership matches this season.
Stelios GIANNAKOPOULOS scored in both of Bolton's League and Cup games against Arsenal this season, and in three of the last four matches against the Gunners.


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LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Arsenal 2-2 Bolton Wanderers
18 September 2004 - Ref: Phil Dowd
Arsenal scorers: Henry 31, Pires 66
Bolton scorers: Jaidi 63, Pedersen 85



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THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE:
Bolton Wanderers 2-0 Arsenal
28 January 2005 - Ref: Howard Webb
Bolton scorers: Faye 20, Giannakopoulos 32



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HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: Arsenal 42 wins, Bolton 33, Draws 30
Prem: Arsenal 6 wins, Bolton 3, Draws 4


HEAD TO HEAD at Arsenal
League: Arsenal 30 wins, Bolton 7, Draws 15
Prem: Arsenal 4 wins, Bolton 0, Draws 2