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Bad news for fans of the London team just don't seem to end - the club confirmed on Friday that 29-year-old defender from Cameroon, Lauren, will no longer be able to play this season as he needs knee surgery. This is another blow to the team in the English capital, which already lacked several key defenders.
"This is all bad news for us, as Lauren is a player who can play anywhere, on the right, on the left, or even in the safety line. It's a big blow, because Lauren doesn't talk much but works hard and is a strong lad, besides we already have many injuries," complained Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger.
In Saturday's match against Birmingham, the London team will be without injured defenders Pascal Cygan, Ashley Cole, Gael Clichy, Kerrea Gilbert, temporarily left Sol Campbell due to a very poor performance in the match against West Ham, and Kolo Toure representing the Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations.
Although most of them should soon be able to play again, in the crucial UEFA Champions League eighth-final match against Real Madrid, which is just over two weeks away, Wenger may not only be missing Lauren but also Ashley Cole, who has been nursing an injury for several months, and it remains unclear how Sol Campbell will cope with psychological problems for the time being.
