It's up to you, Sol

Sol Campbell will decide in the next 48 hours if he feels ready to play for Arsenal against Manchester United following the death of his father.

The England central defender has been left devastated by the tragedy and is in deep shock. His 74-year-old father, Sewell, suffered a stroke on Monday and was taken to hospital. His condition stabilised and Campbell felt able to play against Internazionale in the Champions League on Wednesday, a match Arsenal lost 3-0.

But Campbell heard late on Wednesday night that his father, a former railway worker, had died and manager Arsene Wenger said today that the decision about playing at Old Trafford on Sunday will be left to the player.

Wenger said: "We will leave it up to him. First and foremost our thoughts and sympathy are with Sol and his family at the tragic news. We will wait and see how he recovers from it.

"You have to leave these decisions to the players. It can be a kind of therapy if he plays. You can get away and concentrate on something else. It is how everybody feels in that situation that dictates the attitude. But it will be left to Sol.

"We will respect whatever he decides to do at such a terrible time for him."

Campbell, who turned 29 yesterday, is still inconsolable and the indications are he will not feel he is in the right frame of mind to play against United. He was very close to his father, who regularly watched him play.