There was only one Edu that Arsene wanted

Edu has been in such superb form recently that he will keep his World Cup-winning compatriot Gilberto Silva out of the team to face Celta Vigo in the Champions League tonight.

The fact that Arsenal hold a 3-2 advantage owes much to the Brazilian's superb display in Spain in the first knockout round, first leg but Silva is not begrudging his rival. He said: "He is playing very well and I am pleased for him."

At Highbury, Edu will come up again against his namesake in the Celta team and there is even a myth that when Arsene Wenger went to Brazil four years ago, the Arsenal manager did so to watch Luis Eduardo Schmidt and came back with an agreement to sign Eduardo Cesar Davo.

In keeping with Brazilian custom, both players are known by the condensed snappy name of Edu but in truth Wenger was only ever looking at the latter version, who was a midfielder for Corinthians in Sao Paulo.

Wenger said: "I had lost Emmanuel Petit to Barcelona and I needed a left-sided midfield player. That was the Edu I went to see and that is the one Arsenal signed.

"Of course I knew about the other Edu and I was aware that he was a striker. I also rated him a very good player but he is a front player and I already had plenty of those. I was looking for a midfielder."