Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blames World Cup for injuries to Cesc Fabregas & ‘goal machine’ Robin van Persie

Arsene Wenger, Arsenal

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Arsene Wenger believes playing in the World Cup final is to blame for injuries to his key players.

Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas – who played against each other in the World Cup final in South Africa last summer – have both faced spells on the sidelines for the Gunners this season, making only 44 league appearances between them.

Wenger is confident that next season the Dutchman can put his injury problems behind him and continue his impressive scoring record which has seen him hit 17 goals in his 24 appearances.

“It is not a coincidence that Robin and Cesc Fabregas, who were both in the final of the World Cup, played less games than we expected,” the French manager told reporters.

“Both of them have had problems physically to adjust to the season.

“Robin has been fantastic – he has been a goal machine.

“He is not only a goal-getter, he is a football player as well, who is involved in the combinations and in the defensive work. He has done extremely well.

“However, it adds a bit to the frustration because he made 18 Premier League starts, and so you could imagine that if he had played over 30 games, the number of goals he would have scored.

“I think he is putting his injury problems behind him. Let’s hope that next season he can deliver 30 games.”

Arsenal’s poor run of form means that they have to win at Fulham on Sunday and hope Manchester City slip up at Bolton Wanderers to take third place from the Eastlands club, which would mean automatic qualification to the Champions League.

Wenger believes that the importance of their final match means his players will not take it easy.

“What motivates me is the desire to win what I do, to be strong and successful in what I do,” he said. “That is what has motivated me my whole life.

“A man and a player who can take care of the future is a responsible man. For us to take care of the future is to give the absolute maximum to be in the top three.

“There is no way, at this moment of the season, we can say ‘okay, the season is over’.

“It is not over and we have to fight until the last minute of the season to show that we are good enough to wear the shirt of this club.”

He added: “I promise Arsenal fans that we will give our best to win trophies.

“But who can guarantee that they will deliver trophies? We will give our best to do it, that is our main target.

“What is a trophy for you? Is finishing 10th and winning the Carling Cup a trophy? No.

“What I want to achieve is to keep the consistency in our quality, in our table and deliver what I call trophies, the Premier League and the Champions League.

“You can say you will give absolutely the maximum to do it, but you cannot guarantee that – only if you are crazy.”