Arsene Wenger has told his Arsenal team to forget their striker crisis ahead of next Monday's key Premiership clash with Manchester United and fight to keep alive their FA Cup dream by beating Leicester City at Filbert Street tonight. Wenger has failed to land a new front-man for this week and with Dennis Bergkamp still injured, Kanu away on international duty with Nigeria and Davor Suker suspended, it means Thierry Henry is the only member of his multinational strike-force available for the Old Trafford match.
Wingers Marc Overmars and Fredrik Ljungberg are also crocked and Arsenal will still be without skipper Tony Adams, who tried to return to training on Monday after two games out with a foot injury but has now been told by a specialist to rest for at least two more weeks.
Yet Wenger insists: "We should still have good enough players to win anywhere. And what we have to do is show we can fight against a physical side like Leicester and then think about United afterwards."
After a goalless, bruising battle at Highbury, Wenger expects the replay to be just as physically demanding.
Despite their problems, Arsenal remain favourites to progress to a fifth-round tie against either Chelsea or Nottingham Forest because Leicester are even worse off injury-wise with seven men out including Neil Lennon and Muzzy Izzet, the team's twin midfield dynamo.
Martin O'Neill's side have won only three of their last 11 games - two of them in League Cup penalty shoot-outs against Leeds and Fulham. Robbie Savage, though, is poised to return in the centre of the park after missing Saturday's hardfought draw at Chelsea with a groin problem.
Wenger is banking on the HenrySuker partnership - already worth 21 goals between the pair this season - continuing from Saturday's 4-1 beating of Sunderland when both scored twice.
But with Suker, top scorer now on 11 goals despite just 12 starts, banned for five bookings against United, 18-year-old Irish striker Graham Barrett will be on the Arsenal bench tonight, in preparation for the chance of a daunting senior start next Monday.
