Time for Pires to be a threat

Four days later he was on the wrong end of a tongue-lashing from teammate Freddie Ljungberg at half-time during Arsenal's 3-0 Champions League capitulation to Internazionale at Highbury.

Pires's threat was nullified that night by the Italian team's gameplan as they blocked all routes in from the wing and his passes started to go astray.

He was far from the only Arsenal player to under-perform but was still taken off with 25 minutes to go as his side attempted to chase an already lost cause.

Such a dip in form for lesser players may not be highlighted or have the same impact but Pires is someone who helps make Arsenal tick.

Wenger said his winger has not been fully fit but added: "Sometimes you have to rest a player for a few games to get him sharp again.

"We have got a lot of injuries and there is a chance Pires will come back in against Lokomotiv. I believe he is one of the greatest players I have managed in my years as a coach and that is a long time.

"He has been a tremendous player for us and I think he will bounce back very quickly."

He will need to tonight as Arsenal will be without Sol Campbell (family bereavement), Patrick Vieira (thigh) and Ljungberg (ankle).

Dennis Bergkamp's fear of flying has also kept him out of contention and Wenger's squad includes youngsters David Bentley, Justin Hoyte, Jeremie Aliadiere and Stathis Tavlaridis. Martin Keown (shin) and Ashley Cole (knee) should play and all that duo will not only be under pressure to perform but also to behave after the problems at Old Trafford last week which resulted in six Arsenal players being charged with misconduct by the Football Association.

Wenger, whose side have only won once in their last 10 Champions League games, said: "I believe when you are a big club you have to cope with all kinds of pressures. Unfortunately some of them are very negative. The players at big clubs have to be mentally strong and cope with everything. That is what I think my players can do. We have a chance to wipe out our bad performance against Inter Milan and to come back with a positive result would be tremendous."

After their recent discipline problems and in front of an expected record 30,000 crowd, a win would be impressive as Lokomotiv will only be without striker Winston Parks (knee) and defender Jacob Lekgetho ( suspended). It may also exorcise the demons Wenger collected when Arsenal last played in Russia three seasons ago and lost 4-1 to Spartak Moscow.

The manager added: "I still have the image in my head of that fantastic Spartak team.

"They slaughtered us and I could never understand why they never came out better in the competition after that. I have followed them and they have not shown the same form again. They were very impressive and I hope Lokomotiv will not replicate that kind of form."