Fabregas Out Four...Who's In?

Arsenal Captain Cesc Fabregas is out for 3-4 months, the club revealed today. With the disappearance of Fabregas as he rehabs ruptured knee tendons, the club will have to find a new source of creativity and playmaking in a midfield depleted of well, midfielders. Tomas Rosicky is out. Theo Walcott is out. (neither of whom are central mids)

Denilson has played the holding role this season, before the injuries piled up. Can he play up the line? I don't think so. He still gives posession away an astounding number of times for a first-teamer.

In the past, people have hailed lanky Abou Diaby as the 2nd coming of Patrick Vieira. Recently, one fan commented that while he certainly looked like the 6'5" Arsenal great, it was a shame he didn't play like him.

Which is all a way of saying that Arsene must check his pockets for spare change and get out there and buy some players. Yet, he still contends that options abound.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger admitted he could now make a move for new players in the January transfer window.

"It is more likely but we also have internal solutions and we are not desperate," said Wenger.

Who? Jack Wilshere? Aaron Ramsey? Maybe, maybe two years from now, but not today.

And lest anyone think that the championship hangs in the balance, this is all about 4th Place. Positions 1-3 have been claimed and Villa is setting up the flag over 4th. With our results so far, and our leaky defense, we will do well from this point forward to fight for and capture 4th.

And I have to be a realist, we're not going to surpass Villa without a legitimate replacement for Fabregas. Even with a healthy Cesc, we were definitely having trouble.

And let's not forget that we still need a legit holding mid (perhaps Goklan Inler), and one or two tall, physical center backs. Amid the Arsenal transfer rumours, are whispers that Arsene is close to snagging Zenit St. Petersburg Midfielder Andrei Arshavin  and ludicrous hallucinations about a swoop for ManUre striker Carlos Tevez (Fergie'd never allow that, unless he'd tucked a time bomb underneath Carlito's jersey on the way out Old Trafford). The Ribery rumours are rife again. This time, with the added bonus of sending Bendtner to Germany (he may score there; I hear the goalposts are farther apart or some such thing).

Inexplicably, Milan, Juventus and PSG are among the clubs seeking the services of The Player Formerly Known As Captain. Let's get those papers signed quickly before they can get their hands on some game film!

I would hate to see Kolo Toure go, but Man City could use a top, athletic defender who occasionally forgets to mark his man and have the money to buy him.

Lee Dixon has an instructive analysis of Arsenal's defensive mistakes against Liverpool.