ARSENAL HAVE received a significant boost ahead of a congested festive season after the English Football Association said Samir Nasri would escape any sanction despite appearing to step deliberately on Hull City midfielder Richard Garcia during Saturday’s fractious Premier League game at the Emirates.
The match referee, Steve Bennett, did not see the apparent stamp at the time and was asked by the FA to review video footage of the incident, with Arsenal privately braced to lose their player for three matches on a violent conduct charge.
However, having scrutinised the incident, Bennett told the authorities he would only have awarded Nasri a yellow card for the misdemeanour and a caution cannot be issued retrospectively.
The same rule applies to Hull’s Nick Barmby, who raised his hands to Nasri in the 20-man brawl that followed the incident.
Those ugly scenes could yet prompt further sanction from the authorities, with the melee, which does not fall within the FA’s fast-track disciplinary process, still under review.
Individual charges are unlikely to be issued, though both clubs are expected to be charged with a failure to control their players. It is thought fines and warnings will be issued before Christmas.
Nasri’s escape will be welcomed given the injuries that have already reduced Arsene Wenger’s options up front. Nicklas Bendtner and Tomas Rosicky are absent with groin problems.
But Robin van Persie’s recovery from surgery on his right ankle has been encouraging. The Holland forward damaged ligaments during a friendly against Italy last month, but his surgeon expects the 26-year-old to make a full recovery.
“When you have such a big surgery, the opinion of the surgeon is important,” Wenger said. “Will he be the player he was before? We had a clear answer: ‘Yes’. It’s virtually the rest of the season [that Van Persie will miss]. I haven’t personally said that to Robin. Hopefully, we’ll have a good surprise.”
Arsenal have extended the loan of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to Brentford for a further month. The 19-year-old has kept three clean sheets in his six matches with the League One club.
- Guardian Service
