Arsenal vs Wolves preview - Wenger puts Wolves clash first

Posted Saturday, February 12, 2011 by PA

Arsene Wenger insists the match against Wolves is his priority ahead of Arsenal's clash against Barcelona in the Champions League next week.

The Arsenal manager is not tempted to rest any of his players against a side who ended Manchester United's unbeaten Premier League run at Molineux last weekend.

Abou Diaby is suspended after being sent off against Newcastle last weekend but Johan Djourou is fit and Denilson returns.

Robin van Persie has also recovered from the flu which kept him out of Holland's friendly against Austria in midweek.

Wenger said: "There is no Barcelona in mind. There is Wolverhampton in mind. That's what is important to us, the championship.

"We fought so hard to be in this position now that the most important thing is that we focus on the Premiership."

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy does not believe his side's shock win over Manchester United will have any bearing when they visit the Emirates Stadium.

United were unbeaten in the Premier League this season until their bottom-versus-top clash at Molineux on Saturday ended in a 2-1 defeat.

McCarthy was delighted with his players for securing that result but does not think momentum - or lack of it - will count for much when they face Arsenal.

To illustrate the point, McCarthy recalled his side's previous away day - a disappointing 1-0 reverse against Bolton.

"I don't take the view that the game before has a direct effect on the next game," he said. "It can't, because when you see our result against Bolton, how on earth does it stack up what we did against Manchester United?

"Most people would have thought they'd have turned up here and slapped us."

McCarthy will be looking forward to going into a second successive match as long-odds outsiders, a position he is at ease with.

"Being the underdog gives you something to fight for," he said.

"It's great to prove people wrong but it's not so much proving people wrong as proving you can do it because I genuinely don't look to see what other people are saying."

McCarthy could retain the starting XI that ended United's winning run.

Loan signing Jamie O'Hara made his first start in that match and is likely to retain his place despite being replaced by Kevin Foley after an hour .

Stephen Hunt missed that game with a calf strain and could be out again, while Michael Kightly (knee) and Adlene Guedioura (leg) remain on the injured list.