I was absolutely gobsmacked to see this statement from Arsenal today:

“Jack’s ongoing rehabilitation has seen a long-standing slight issue with his patella tendon in his left knee flare up.

“As a result, Jack will travel to Sweden for a minor procedure on his left knee in the next few days. This procedure is not expected to significantly affect Jack’s comeback ahead of next season.

“On returning to England, Jack will resume his rehabilitation with the Arsenal medical team over the summer.”

WTF. How did this happen? How can a player be in rehab for an ankle injury for the last nine months and then need a knee operation? Did Arsenal screw up the rehabilitation on his ankle and that is why he needs the surgery or did he somehow injury his knee doing something else?

Anytime you have a young player miss a complete season over what initially was not thought to be a serious injury, and then he needs surgery on another joint, you have to start to wonder about the long-term health of the player.

Hopefully Jack can bounce back from this and be involved with the Arsenal squad when they start preseason training in early July.

Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ team have been voted the greatest Premier League side in history.

Arsene Wenger’s 2003-04 record-breakers, which included superstars Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira, went an entire season unbeaten to claim the league title.

And now the Gunners’ unforgettable achievement has been rewarded with the crown of Best Team in the Premier League’s 20 Seasons Awards.

Wenger said about the award:

“I am proud of [winning the award] and very happy because I told the players at the time they could achieve something special once we were champions by being invincible,” he told Arsenal Player.

“They did it, but at the time they did not realise how much it would mean in the future. I am very proud of that.

“My target is to get back to that level. I feel we are not far from coming back to fight for the championship, and let’s hope we can show that next season.”

Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’:

Jens Lehmann;

Lauren, Sol Campbell, Kolo Toure, Ashley Cole;

Freddie Ljungberg, Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva, Robert Pires;

Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp.

Next season Arsenal will be playing in the NextGen Series for the first time, and the Arsenal players and coaching staff can start to plan for the tournament after after the groups for the 2012/13 edition were announced today.

The ‘U19 Champions League‘ consists of 24 teams divided into six groups of four. Each side will play six games (home and away) between 13 August and 13 December 2012, with the top two from each group being joined in the last 16 by the four best third-placed sides. If two or more teams finish level on points, qualification will be decided by goal difference then goals scored. Like this year all matches in the final stage of the tournament – from the semi-finals onwards – will be held in the same location.

Reigning champions Inter have been drawn in Group 5, along with Rosenborg, Borussia Dortmund (making their debut in the tournament) and Liverpool.

Here are all six groups:

GROUP 1: Tottenham; Barcelona; Wolfsburg; Anderlecht.

GROUP 2: Manchester City; Juventus; Fenerbahce; Paris St Germain.

GROUP 3: Chelsea; Ajax; CSKA Moscow; Molde.

GROUP 4: Aston Villa; Sporting Lisbon; PSV Eindhoven; Celtic.

GROUP 5: Liverpool; Borussia Dortmund; Rosenborg; Inter Milan.

GROUP 6: Arsenal; Athletic Bilbao; Olympique Marseille; Olympiacos

Lukas Podolski admits he cannot wait to start his Arsenal career – and insists he will join the Club with bagfuls of confidence.

The German international striker enjoyed a superb season in the Bundesliga, bagging 18 goals despite FC Cologne’s relegation from the top flight.

And with Euro 2012 on the horizon, Podolski insists he will be ready to hit the ground running when he moves to the Gunners this summer.

“Arsenal are a great club, here in Europe and all over the world,” he told Arsenal Player.

“At the time the transfer negotiations started between the two clubs, the decision was made really quickly. I’m now looking forward to the challenge at my new club and cannot wait to start after Euro 2012.

“I had a very good season with Cologne, I played well and as a result I’m now going to Euro 2012 with lots of confidence.

“After that, I will be joining up with my new team-mates at Arsenal and it is my goal just to do my best and be successful there.”

Podolski enjoyed two separate spells at FC Cologne, as well as three years at Bayern Munich, but says he had no hesitation about making the move to England.

“For me it doesn’t really matter when you take such a step in your career, whether it is now or a few years earlier,” he said.

“It’s difficult to say when the time is right. But I’m now 26, and nearly 27, so this step in my career might just be the right time to do it.”

According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal will offer Robin van Persie a club record £7million-per-season.

Arsene Wenger, chief executive Ivan Gazidis and Van Persie are set to meet tomorrow (Wednesday) where Arsenal will present RVP with a three-year deal worth around £130,000-per-week plus a £5million signing-on fee if he signs a new deal with the club.

RVP so said to currently be on around £70,000-per-week at the moment, so all told, this deal will double his wages.

The big question is whether £130,000-per-week for three years and a £5million bonus is enough to persuade Van Persie to sign with the Gunners.

And I don’t think it is. RVP could probably get £220,000-per-week at Manchester City, which is crazy money, but is also almost double what Arsenal are initially offering. While RVP might be reluctant to be simply another ex-Gunner heading to Eastlands, their are European clubs like Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid that have been linked with van Persie and they would all offer him something between £130,000-per-week and £220,000-per-week in wages.

My feeling is that Arsenal’s offer tomorrow is an initial offer. I will be pleasantly shocked if RVP agrees to a new deal before the Euros. I think that despite the wishes of Wenger and Gazdis that this will drag on into July before van Persie signs a new deal at Arsenal for around £150,000-per-week plus a £7m signing bonus.

Arsène Wenger admits he can finally rest easy after seeing Arsenal secure automatic qualification to next season’s Champions League.

The Gunners ensured a third-placed finish above Tottenham with a hard-fought 3-2 win over West Brom on Sunday despite falling behind inside 15 minutes.

No team in the Premier League came close to Arsenal’s record of winning 24 points from losing positions this season – and Wenger welcomed his side’s ability to finally get the job done.

“It is good to sleep better at night,” the Frenchman told Arsenal Player. “It is a tricky position in fourth because you don’t want Chelsea to win the Champions League.

“And to be fourth is playing a qualifier, which every year is more difficult. Therefore just to be in the group stage straight away is fantastic.

“It is true that we had problems getting over the line but we were not the only ones. The players have given a lot, I must say.

“I looked at the players who were out and you see we had no Arteta, no Sagna and all the others who were out but we still managed to win away from home. That is down to remarkable character and I am very proud of the achievement of the team.

“I maybe take the biggest ever [satisfaction from this season] because at some stage of the season everybody would have said you were absolutely mad. We still kept our focus and worked hard together and in the end it is a good present to give Pat Rice.”

Here are some of Arsene Wenger’s comments after yesterday’s 3-2 win at West Brom, a result that guaranteed Arsenal Champions League football next season.

on sealing third place…
I think if you look at the season as a whole, we lost only two of the last 16 games and created a fantastic run. In the end we finished with 70 points, which is respectable, and we qualify for the Champions League for the 15th consecutive year. Of course we are very proud of that, especially this season having started where we started. We had problems getting over the line and you could see that again today.

on another comeback…
When we were 1-0 up we were nervous. When we were 2-1 down we got back to our game again and in the end we just hung on. We defended crosses with resilience but as long as we did not manage a fourth goal [I was nervous]. I am still thinking of suing the referee for the five minutes of added time because my heart suffered immensely!

on the Tottenham game…
Yes [I was aware of what was going on]. They were 2-0 up and basically I did not want to finish fourth. If Chelsea win the Champions League then you are not in it and you are also not [definitely] in it because you play a qualifier.

on thoughts of a third-placed finish in September…
In September certainly not. We were 17th in the league then and in the first seven games we had lost four. When you have played seven games and lost four you think there are 31 games to go and it is very difficult to imagine that you will finish third. But we had an exceptional run after our exit in the Champions League.

on the defence…
Szczesny has played injured in the last five weeks with a shoulder problem. He gets injected on the day of a game and plays, you cannot maintain your level like that forever. We just decided to do it because there was not long to go. If it was in the middle of the season we would have rested him.

on Gibbs’ late saving challenge…
I feel he came on very well. He suffered on that flank in the second half but when he came on he won headers and won tackles to get us out of difficult situations. He deserves huge credit for that tackle.

on overhauling Tottenham…
I don’t know [if it is one of my best seasons], I leave that to you. I am very proud of this season because we were not only tested on the football front – which as a Club we are used to – but on our mental solidity, unity and solidarity within. We were deeply tested, we did not show any weakness, kept united and in the end came back. It is a good lesson for everybody. At some stages everybody was wondering what we were doing.

on qualifying for Champions League…
I would not say it is a failure. We have qualifying for the 15th season in a row now. There are only three clubs that have done that so it is not as easy as it looks.

on keeping hold of Van Persie…
It is easier to attract players and to keep them.

on signing Podolski…
I was asked many times the question whether or not we relied too much on the goalscoring of Van Persie. He has scored 30 goals and we have tried to add somebody else who can score as well. Yes [we plan to speak with him before the Euros].

on Van Persie’s post-match celebrations…
You can make of that what you want. If a player does not come out and celebrate you say he is a already gone and if he goes and celebrates with the fans that means he is saying goodbye. I believe it is positive.

on a fitting send-off for Pat Rice…
First of all we are from the same generation you would call the ‘Old Guard’. I am very happy to give him that present today. I would have been sad for him to leave the Club today and not be in the Champions League. It is very emotional for him and for me as well because I arrived here and he was always my assistant. Pat has many qualities of the ‘Old Guard’; that means he is a fighter, he doesn’t talk too much – but when he talks, he talks! He is mentally strong.

on the dramatic title race…
It is unbelievable. Maybe QPR knew they were safe, I don’t know. Maybe they relaxed a little bit and thought they were over the line. But it is Manchester City and they can score goals. That can happen.

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal
The Hawthorns
Kick-off: 15.00 BST
TV: Highlights BBC ONE Match of the Day.

WBA (Probable, 4-4-2): Foster; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Morrison, Scharner, Mulumbu, Dorrans; Long, Fortune.
Out: Gera, Morrison (both knee), Reid (ankle), Tamas (personal reasons), Brunt (tonsillitis).
Tests: Odemwingie (leg), Thomas (illness).

Arsenal (Probable, 4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Coquelin, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Song, Ramsey; Walcott, Rosicky, Benayoun; Van Persie.
Out: Arteta, Mertesacker, Wilshere (all ankle), Frimpong (knee), Sagna (broken leg).
Test: Walcott (hamstring).

Referee: Mike Jones (Matches 24, R6 Y85).

Team News
West Brom skipper Chris Brunt is unavailable for new England manager Roy Hodgson’s final match in charge of the Baggies against visiting Arsenal on Sunday after having his tonsils removed.

Fellow midfielder Paul Scharner is poised to make his final Albion appearance, with his contract running out this summer and the Austria international not expecting it to be renewed.

Striker Peter Odemwingie (leg) and winger Jerome Thomas (illness) are doubtful to face the Gunners as West Brom look for the victory which would bolster their chances of a top-10 finish in the Premier League.

Arsenal could have winger Theo Walcott back from a hamstring injury at The Hawthorns.

Full-back Bacary Sagna has undergone an operation on his broken leg and will miss France’s European Championship campaign.

German centre-back Per Mertesacker is making good progress with his ankle injury. Midfielders Abou Diaby, Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere are also out.

Match Notes
Arsenal’s destiny is in their own hands. Win and they are guaranteed Champions League football next season. Any other result opens up the possibility of Europa League football. This will also be the last match in charge of West Brom for Roy Hodgson who will be leading England at Euro 2012.

Betting: Home 4-1, Away 4-6, Draw 11-4.

Stat of the game: Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie has scored against 17 different teams (including WBA) this season, a Premier League record.

Prediction: West Bromwich Albion 1 Arsenal 2 in a nervy game for Arsenal fans.

Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of Sunday’s trip to West Bromwich Albion.

on Theo Walcott…
He will have a test [on his hamstring]. I don’t know yet if he will be included in the squad or not. It is possible.

on other team news for Sunday…
We have little doubts about Park, Squillaci and Santos but they should all be ready.

on Bacary Sagna…
He will have surgery tonight. It is a straight broken fibula. We expect him to be out for a few months but let’s see how surgery goes tonight.

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has admitted Arsenal’s players doubted both themselves and manager Arsene Wenger after the Gunners dreadful start to the season, a run that saw them win just one of their first five Premier League games.

With Arsenal up to third in the table, the dark days of August and September are a distant memory, but Koscielny has open the lid on how close Arsenal’s season was to collapsing.

Koscielny says that confidence at the club after the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford that followed the summer departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, and a deadline-day scramble to replace them.

The Arsenal centre-half admitted to France Football that the club’s struggles even led to question marks over the performance of Arsene Wenger himself:

“The beginning of the season was a catastrophe. We’d lost players who were key to our system. We recruited late, and it took a while for us to gel.

“We were ‘whopped’ at Old Trafford. Everybody thought we were dead and buried. But you don’t lose your football (ability) like that, like snapping your fingers

“It can happen that a grain of sand falls in the machine, and the machine stalls; then you start to have doubts about your qualities, your club, your coach, everything.

“We had to put the house back in order. And everyone did their bit – the coach, the club – because we were in a critical situation.

“The squad wasn’t giving enough for the club, and was aware of it. We got back to work, we told each other the things that needed to be told; after which, one win, two wins, confidence comes back, and things follow from then on. The new players gelled in the squad, and here we are.”

Looking ahead to the new season, Koscielny added:

“Arsenal’s place is among the top four clubs in England. A club doesn’t ‘die’ like that, and the players realised it.

“The most important thing is to get that third place. Then if we keep our key players, if we bring in players who can bring something extra, if we make a good start in the league, then, yes, we’ll be contenders for the title.”