Wenger wants blazing Gunners

Published Aug. 26, 2011 3:16 p.m. ET

foxsports

Arsenal go into Sunday's Premier League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford struggling for numbers. Centre-half Thomas Vermaelen will have a fitness test on Saturday and Laurent Koscielny only came through a fitness test on his back problem on Friday morning. Sebastien Squillaci is also out, along with Kieran Gibbs (hamstring), Abou Diaby (ankle) and Nicklas Bendtner, who also has an ankle problem, but Wenger does not believe it will stop the wantaway striker leaving the club. Alex Song, Gervinho and Emmanuel Frimpong, meanwhile, are suspended. Wenger admits the indiscipline at the start of the season could cost his side dearly, especially in midfield with Arsenal having sold Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, and with Jack Wilshere still sidelined with a troublesome ankle injury after visiting a specialist on Friday morning. Wenger said: "The discipline has cost us a lot since the start of the season. If we had mastered our responses and reactions, we could have six points. "It's even more important to get results and not let Manchester United away too early. It is vital for us to have a good game on Sunday. "Sometimes at the beginning of the season it is like a Western film, they (the players) come out stronger. "But we have shown that we have mental strength and good unity to fight. I'm confident we will be solid on Sunday and have a big performance." Wenger believes the midweek triumph against Udinese in the Champions League qualifying tie has given his side the feelgood factor. He said: "After the first game with Udinese, I felt the squad was a bit insecure. That game was in our mind when we played Liverpool. That game is out of the mind now and we have a much more convincing team at Manchester." On being drawn with Marseille, Olympiakos and German champions Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League group stage, Wenger added: "We got exactly the pot four we didn't want. I was surprised Dortmund were in pot four. I was amazed."