Robin Van Persie returns to the Arsenal starting lineup in Barcelona tonight.
As we detailed yesterday, the Dutch striker was named late in Arsene Wenger’s 19-man squad for the second leg tie and was due to miss the match due to a knee injury sustained in the Carling Cup Final defeat to Birmingham. However, Van Persie returned to the squad and starts in Spain tonight – a major boost for Arsenal and, of course, great news for those who held on to a prize Fantasy asset over gameweek 29.
We await to see just how Van Persie comes through tonight’s game but, given Wenger’s assurances that he would take a gamble on the striker unless fully fit, the signs are good and we should expect Van Persie to return to league action in gameweek 30. As we’ve documented so often recently, Arsenal’s fixture in the forthcoming gameweek at West Brom on March 19, depends on the result of their FA Cup tie at Old Trafford this coming Saturday. If that goes to a replay both United and Arsenal will suffer a gameweek 30 blank.
That’s for another time however. For now, we can settle and watch Van Persie try his magic on the Barcelona defence.
