William Gallas has spoken of Kolo Toure’s absence for the next month,

Kolo is very important for the squad because he is very strong. He has good qualities and my relationship with him has been good. We have good players in the squad and someone else will be able to play. If you play for Arsenal you are very good and I hope my relationship with them will be good too. We will miss Kolo but I can only say how much after a few weeks.

Cover is somewhat thinner with Alex Song leaving so the pressure is on Senderos and Djourou to raise their games to make Toure’s absence go relatively unnoticed. However, we will notice for the first few games whilst Gallas and his new partner bed down so it seems likely that there will perhaps be more harum-scarum moments, starting at Burnley as Arsene has said that he is calling the first team into action that day given the proximity of the first leg against Tottenham. Indeed, his choice for that game will give a strong indicator as to who is likely to partner the Frenchman in the coming weeks although given Senderos’ absence from the bench on Tuesday, I would not be surprised if he played both of the matches in the coming seven days. Indeed, it seems likely that he will with Matthew Connolly going to QPR unless Gavin Hoyte is promoted for the Semi Final.

On the subject of Connolly some wild accusations have been made but the player summed it all up when he said that whilst Arsenal is a good club to learn your trade, it is ‘difficult to break into the first team’. Connolly also commented that ‘at my age, I need first team football’ which he patently was not going to get on a regular basis at The Emirates with both Gallas and Toure being first choices. Whether or not he is better than Senderos or Djourou in our opinion matters little. The player has reviewed his situation like any employee and has seen a better career path elsewhere. David Bentley said roughly the same thing when he left. His path was blocked by Bergkamp and he would be competing for a place with Fabregas, Hleb and Rosicky. Is Bentley better than them?

It has nothing to do with their nationality and the tabloid style suggestion that Arsene does not like English players, frankly, is just about the most ludicrous thing said about the boss since he arrived, second only to the scurrilous and nasty rumours that abounded when he joined.

Back to Gallas. He tried to quell transfer talk,

I don’t expect us to sign anyone. Perhaps if one player does leave then we have to buy, but if that is not the case then I think everything is OK as we are

Which is nice that he is confident in the squad but one wonders if he is just toeing the party line? I hope not for the squad have done well so far, coping with various injuries. Some appear to have forgotten that we did not lose in Gallas’ own absence earlier this season so maybe, just maybe, Arsene is right not to go storming in and buy another centre back.

Titbits of speculation have appeared on the transfer front whilst the media and everyone else obsesses about Anelka and Berbatov to Chelsea and Manchester United, without really countenancing the idea that they may actually stay put. According to the Daily Mail, Arsene’s Spanish scout Sergio Cagigao has been looking at Deportivo’s ‘keeper Fabricio who is currently in their ‘B’ team. I take my hat off to the Spanish journalist who first thought that one up as they must be trawling all of the reserves now to link a player with us. Which is kind of confirmed when the same article links us to Kiko Casillas of Espanyol. No, I’m not making it up. Can’t get the Real thing? Buy a misspelt second instead, cheap at a tenth of the price. The same paper is banging on about Juventus coming in for Flamini which is the same Juventus who wanted Gilberto in the summer.

And Carlos Vela has obtained a Work Permit here according to The Daily Telegraph although they use the words, ‘It is reported that’ in front of their quote so whether or not there is any substance remains to be seen on Arsenal.com.

Talking of youngsters, Arsene has told Theo Walcott not to become obsessed with not having scored in the Premier League,

He does need a goal but Eduardo was in the same situation and Cesc Fabregas was a long time in the same situation. It will come when it is not an obsession. It will come the day maybe he doesn’t think it will come. He will score

The first thing he needs to do though is get fully fit. If Walcott does that, then he need only look at the two examples held up by Wenger, along with Hleb, Rosicky and Flamini to see that things will work out in the long run. If memory serves and it may not in this case, two of those three scored in Europe before they did in the Premier League. If Walcott needs his confidence boosting, he need only think back to the Carling Cup Final when he scored against Chelsea with their first choice defence on the pitch. If he can do it then, he will score in the Premier League.

‘til Tomorrow.