With midfielder Abou Diaby and goalkeeper Manuel Almunia joining the long list of injured players, Arsenal will hope to have captain Cesc Fabregas available for this Sunday’s big game at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

Speaking on Tuesday, manager Arsene Wenger admitted how the midfielder will surely not feature in Serbia against Partizan Belgrade in Arsenal’s Group H game but is hopeful to have him back for the Premier League game against their London rivals.

Fabregas, 23, was forced out of the 1-1 draw away at Sunderland after scoring a bizarre goal in the first part of the game and hasn’t featured since.

With the Gunners already facing injury problems to key players such as Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott, the recovery of the Spaniard is very important especially since a defeat would leave them seven points adrift of Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

On Fabregas, Wenger said:

Cesc for Partizan is impossible.

But he has started to run so we have to monitor his progress in the week and there is a little hope there he will be available [for Sunday].