Henry injury blow for Arsenal

Thierry Henry has an ankle injury that makes him a major doubt for the clash with Charlton at The Valley tomorrow.  

If Henry, a hat-trick star in the 6-1 battering of Leicester on Boxing day, misses out after limping off against Sunderland 10 minutes from time, Arsenal will be well short of fire power.

Neither Dennis Bergkamp nor Sylvain Wiltord are optimistic of recovering in time from calf injuries which have kept them out of the last two games and it could mean Wenger plunging new £1million Lithuanian signing Tomas into his first Premiership start, having substituted for Henry against Sunderland.

With Martin Keown out three more weeks through hamstring trouble, Wenger also has to decide whether to again risk unpredictable Igors Stepanovs - another recent £1million arrival, in his case, from Latvia - alongside skipper Tony Adams in central defence.

The tall former Skonto Riga defender had a truly mixed day against Sunderland in only his second League appearance.

Charlton will be hoping to follow up their crushing 4-0 defeat of Manchester City with a good performance against Arsenal at The Valley.

There fine result was achieved without influential skipper Mark Kinsella.

He is expected to be out for three weeks after having minor surgery on a knee injury.