Arsenal FC have turned to former goalkeeper Jens Lehmann to alleviate
their injury problems between the posts, bringing the 41-year-old out of
retirement until the end of the season. Jens Lehmann has rejoined
former employers Arsenal FC until the end of the season in order to
bolster the club's injury-hit goalkeeping ranks.
Manager Arsène
Wenger chose to invite Lehmann out of retirement after Wojciech Szczęsny
was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with the finger injury
he suffered in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 loss at FC
Barcelona. With Łukasz Fabiański already sidelined due to a shoulder
injury, Manuel Almunia had become the only fit senior keeper at the
north London outfit, where Lehmann served between 2003 and 2008.
"We
have no cover in the Premier League, so that is why I decided to bring
Jens back," said Wenger. Lehmann, 41, made 147 league appearances for
the Gunners during his first spell and was part of their unbeaten
2003/04 English championship triumph, the 2005 FA Cup win and the run to
the 2006 UEFA Champions League final. The former German international
left Arsenal for VfB Stuttgart in 2008, before seemingly hanging up his
gloves for good last summer.
Meanwhile, Wenger has a number of
other injury concerns hanging over his squad as they vie for the Premier
League title, with centre-back Thomas Vermaelen now expected to miss
the rest of the season because of the Achilles complaint that has kept
him out since September. The French tactician has also said there is "no
chance" of winger Theo Walcott – who has an ankle problem – being fit
for England's UEFA EURO 2012 Group G qualifier away against Wales on 26
March.