Lehmann recall is temporary: Wenger
Jens Lehmann has been warned that his recall for Arsenal’s FA Cup third round tie against Stoke is only temporary – as Manuel Almunia remains the club’s first-choice keeper.
Lehmann has missed the past nine games after being replaced by Almunia, firstly in the Carling Cup at Old Trafford and then in the league against Birmingham.
While he will start in goal against Stoke at Highbury on Sunday, Arsene Wenger made it clear that the German international can expect to return to the bench at Bolton a week later.
The Arsenal boss revealed: “Lehmann will play against Stoke. I have always done that when I’ve had two good keepers – one plays in the FA Cup and the other in the league.
“They are close to each other and the challenge for Jens is to give us tough competition. He is a fighter and doesn’t give up but, at the moment, Almunia is still in front.
“I had told Jens that he needed to be refreshed and that Almunia was in front of him. He feels fresh now but I still feel that Almunia has made a better impact in the first team.
“It’s not a normal job, it’s one where you must be better than everyone else. If it was easy, there would be 50 million people who could do it. It’s a job for top-level people and only one can play.”
