Soccer

Lehmann ready to step into the breach

Soccer: Jens Lehmann is ready to answer Arsenal’s goalkeeping SOS and make a sensational return to the club

Mon Mar 14 2011 - 00:00

Soccer:Jens Lehmann is ready to answer Arsenal's goalkeeping SOS and make a sensational return to the club. With Lukasz Fabianski sidelined until the end of the season and Wojciech Szczesny suffering an injured finger, Manuel Almunia has been left as the only fit senior goalkeeper within the Gunners squad.

Given Vito Mannone, who also has first-team experience, has been hampered by a thigh problem while on loan at Hull, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has elected to ask Lehmann to come out of retirement and return to the club he left in 2008.

Lehmann, 41, played for two seasons at Stuttgart in 2008 before hanging up his gloves and has since worked in the German media, which saw him at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night.

The veteran made almost 200 appearances for the Gunners — with whom he won the Premier League title in 2003/04 as part of the Invincibles side — and has been in regular touch with Arsenal during his recent stay in England working on coaching badges.

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While a deal is not yet complete, Lehmann, who would be signed as a free agent, could be in contention to make the squad for Saturday’s Premier League trip to struggling West Brom.

Speaking to German newspaper Bild, Lehmann said: “Arsenal currently have a goalkeeping crisis and I jumped at the chance to help them.”

The return of the legendary eccentric goalkeeper will certainly be a boost to the morale of a squad which has been tested to the limit in recent weeks. Only a fortnight ago, Wenger’s youngsters appeared all set to finally come of age in 2011 as they ran out at Wembley for the League Cup final against Birmingham.

Now, the Gunners have been left facing up to the prospect of another campaign which promised so much failing to deliver once more after crashing out of both the Champions League in Barcelona and the FA Cup to Manchester United.

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit claims the current squad lacks “players with a winning mentality” as a seventh barren season looms on the horizon. And questions have certainly arisen over Wenger’s continued faith in youngsters to deliver rather than going out and buying established names with a proven track record.

Nevertheless, Arsenal’s Premier League destiny remains very much in their own hands with 10 games to go, as they trail leaders United by just three points, but with a match in hand ahead of their crunch showdown at Emirates Stadium on May 1st.