Bring on the Hamburgers

Right.

Today we kick off our European campaign proper, now that the qualifiers are behind us. The big team news is that Thierry misses out due to a recurrence of an injury he picked up with France last week. He allegedly had an injection before Saturday's game and it looks like Wenger is taking no risks ahead of Sunday's match at Man Yoo. Which is fair enough. I'm confident we'll take three points off Hamburg tonight, and below is the team I hope we put out to do it.

With Wenger already stating that Flim Flam will not be playing left back this season unless everyone else who could possibly play there breaks every bone in their bodies, Willy Gallas will continue there, meaning an unchanged back five from Saturday.

I'd hope Rosicky comes in for Ljungberg who looked off the pace at the weekend, and other than that unchanged again in midfield. There would be a temptation amongst many Gooners, myself included, to play Young Theo Walcott (YTW) from the beginning of this game, having been completely rested at the weekend, but I can't see it happening and Arsene's already been talking this week about wrapping YTW in cotton wool and trying to get him through to 20 without sustaining a major injury. I imagine his starts will be limited this season. That said, expect to see him come on in the 66th minute and absolutely beast out.

Speaking of beasting out, I've stuck Julio in my XI for tonight, mainly so that I don't have to put Ade "Akinbiyi" bayor in. I still don't think that the Beast should be playing centre forward, and should be used more from centre mid, but we also need to keep the gazelle on ice skates out of the starting XI in vital away games. Baptista could well start in midfield tonight instead, with Wenger giving one of Cesc or Gilberto a rest before Man Yoo on Sunday. Van Persie keeps his place.

Of course all of this is assuming that Wenger doesn't revert to the 4-5-1 that we used in our European campaign last season. Personally I don't think he will, as we have more options in the centre and up front, whilst we've lost some of our wide players such as Pires and Reyes, and Freddie is looking less and less like a wide player by the game. In a 4-5-1 wingers are essential, and I don't think we have a single natural winger any more. That said I'd like to see a front three of Walcott, Henry and RvP sometime in the near future. But not tonight.

In other European news Liverpool took a point from their trip to PSV and Chavski beat Werder Bremen at home. I watched the Liverpool game and thought they were unadventurous and negative, and that Zenden's having a laugh if he thinks he can play centre mid. I can understand Rafa resting players for Chelsea at the weekend, but Bolo Zenden in the middle? Ridiculous. Chelsea's second goal last night was a penalty from... Michael Ballack. Take that fatty. How long before Lampard's chewing on bench for a living? Soon I think. Seeing Ballack and Lampard in the same side makes you realise just how much better Ballack is.

Francesc Fabregas Soler is about to sign an extension to his current deal, taking him through to 2014 (that's eight years for the remedial among you). I'm a happy little Gooner today. Although I'm sure the 2013 season is going to be another horrific "will he stay, will he go" debacle with Barcam Real Madrid and any other self-titled "big club" circling.

What am I saying? It's going to be like that EVERY summer he's here...

Nicklas Bendtner got himself sent off for two bookable offences last night as Birmingham beat QPR 2-0. Apparently the first was for dissent and the second was for raising his arm, which is a bit vague but it was reported that he just pushed another player away. Sounds a bit harsh to me.

We will be wearing a special away shirt tonight, as both us and Hamburg are sponsored by Emirates, and both teams have to wear different sponsorship details. As the away side we'll be switching to some sort of "Dubai" graphic. Not all that exciting really.

So, let's get the job done tonight. Three points and at least a couple of goals to take some momentum into Sunday's match up with Man Yoo.

Come on you Gooners.