Wenger warning over ref

Arsenal players have been warned to be on their guard tonight when they come face to face with the referee who sent off three players in the first 22 minutes of a World Cup qualifier last week.

Italian official Domenica Messina, who showed the red card to David Healy, Robbie Savage and Michael Hughes in Wales' 2-2 draw against Northern Ireland last Wednesday, will take charge of the Gunners' opening Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven at Highbury.

He is the last official Arsene Wenger wanted to see after a weekend dogged by refereeing controversy, particularly in Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Fulham.

"We will have to be cautious," Wenger said. "It looks as if he sends players off very easily."

The Arsenal boss will tell his players to be careful with celebrations after watching how Messina booked Ireland's Healy for an overexuberant celebration and then sent him off for gesturing at the crowd.

Wenger said: "Refs are a bit harsh on celebrations at the moment. It is a magic moment for the player and it is a part of football that you get a bit crazy when you score a goal. I think they have gone too much overboard and I was pleased to hear Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president, talk against it."

Meanwhile, Freddie Ljungberg is losing his battle to be fit for tonight. The Swede has been undergoing intensive treatment for a back injury and, although there has been some improvement, it is unlikely that he will start the game.

Jose Antonio Reyes, who has scored in all five of Arsenal's Premiership matches this season, is set to replace Ljungberg. "Reyes gives us a different option and I hope he can be the difference in Europe this season," Wenger said.