Reyes set to hijack Pires spot

Arsene Wenger will spring another team surprise tonight and opt for Jose Antonio Reyes ahead of the experienced Robert Pires for the clash with Bayern Munich.

Arsenal have to overturn a 3-1 deficit to reach the Champions League quarter-finals and Wenger has decided to go for the raw pace and power of Reyes.

It is a huge vote of confidence from the manager, who will play Freddie Ljungberg on the right flank and reunite Thierry Henry with his favourite strike partner Dennis Bergkamp, who has missed the last three domestic games after he was banned for three matches, along with Reyes, following a red card against Sheffield United.

It had been anticipated that Wenger would go for French World Cup winner Pires, who has recovered from an ankle injury. In his last game the 21-year-old Spaniard was anonymous as Arsenal were beaten in Munich when he was selected as the man whose pace would expose the supposed weakness down the right flank of the Germans but he produced little of consequence as Arsenal flopped.

Reyes has endured a miserable three months after being caught up in the race row surrounding his national manager Luis Aragones and his comments about Henry. There were reports that he was homesick and he was then handed a three-match ban by the Football Association for his part in a scuffle during the FA Cup tie against Sheffield United.

Arsenal's one concern is Brazilian midfield man Edu. He has recovered from a hamstring problem but hurt a knee yesterday in his first full training session for almost two weeks. Wenger will await the result of scans before deciding on his line-up.