Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says his side will not underestimate Championship side Reading when they meet in an FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.
The Gunners, who are 1.80 to lift the trophy for a second successive season, are much fancied to progress to the final at the expense of the Royals, but Wenger has warned his players not to take anything for granted.
He told reporters: “Reading have many players who have experience in the Premier League.
“We won’t be underestimating them. We will prepare well for this game, we know exactly what can happen to us, what will face us.
“It’s a special occasion for us to share with our fans and we want them to go home happy.”
Wenger has an almost fully-fit squad to choose from, with only Mikel Arteta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ruled out by injury.
Meanwhile the Gunners chief also confirmed that Wojciech Szczesny will start in goal in place of David Ospina, with the Pole having featured in the last three rounds of the FA Cup, but having not played in the Premier League since New Year’s Day.
Royals head coach Steve Clarke is expected to be handed a fitness boost with striker Pavel Pogrebnyak expected to overcome a calf problem which saw him miss the 1-0 midweek home defeat at the hands of Bournemouth.
And Clarke wants his players to focus solely on the job in hand of trying to defeat Arsenal and not on the magnitude of the occasion.
He added: “You can’t go to Wembley and play the occasion. It is not about playing the occasion, we’re playing Arsenal.”
Leave a comment
Link Dafabet