bergkamp to drive to madrid

[HAFRIDI]

Arsenal striker Dennis Bergkamp has offered to drive to Spain next week to play in the Gunners' crucial Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

The 36-year-old, who has a fear of flying, does not normally travel to Arsenal's European away games because of the long road distances involved, but has offered to make the 2,000 round trip in a bid to turn around the Gunners' season.

Arsenal go into the last-16 first-leg tie on the back of an insipid 1-0 defeat by Liverpool last Tuesday, knowing that a repeat performance against Real's attack-minded galacticos could see their Champions League chances snuffed out.

And the importance of the tie has prompted Bergkamp to offer his services to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, despite the logistical difficulties of the trip.

'I am prepared to go but it's up to the boss,' Bergkamp told the Islington Gazette.

'I am just happy to play any game [but] I can't talk about away games in Europe when I am not even playing at home at the moment.'

He added that it was crucial for the Gunners to approach the game with a positive outlook and look to score what could prove to be a crucial away goal next Tuesday.

'It's going to be so important if we can get a goal in the Bernabeu - if we can score there then we know we have a great chance in the second leg at Highbury [on March 8th],' he added.

'If we can do that then we have a very good chance of going through because although Real are a very good team and are capable of getting a good result wherever they play, we still feel we can do that too.

'Hopefully it's going to be a good tie - and if we can be the more professional and not concede goals then we can go through.'

Bergkamp's offer is the only good news on the selection front for Arsenal, with Wenger admitting today that, with the exception of Jose Antonio Reyes, none of Arsenal's lengthy list of injured players have a chance of being fit for the Madrid clash.

'No, we have no-one back. The only one who has a little chance is Reyes but only a very small one,' he told Arsenal TV Online.

Robin van Persie (toe), Dennis Bergkamp (calf), Gael Clichy (foot), Sol Campbell (ankle), Ashley Cole (thigh), Pascal Cygan (hamstring), Lauren (knee) and Kerrea Gilbert (back) are all out injured.

In addition, new signing Emmanuel Adebayor is cup-tied after appearing for Monaco in a Champions League qualifying game earlier this season.

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[Bitman]

Desperate times!!!

[Geordie Ahmed]

Wenger should do what the rest of The A Team do to BA, just knock him out and throw him on the plane