Injury-hit Gunners ready to sink Blues – Wenger

The 23-year-old Spain World Cup-winner continues to recover from a hamstring problem and has been joined on the sidelines by goalkeeper Manuel Almunia as well as England Under-21 full-back Kieran Gibbs, who is ruled out of the forthcoming European Championship play-off against Romania with a calf problem.

With the likes of Belgium centre-half Thomas Vermaelen failing to shake off an Achilles problem suffered during the last international break and England forward Theo Walcott and Dutch striker Robin van Persie both out with ankle injuries, a trip to Chelsea is hardly what Wenger would have wanted at this time.

However, boosted by the midweek Champions League victory over Partizan Belgrade in Serbia, the Gunners chief insists last week's shock home defeat by West Bromwich is out of their system as he prepares to inflict a second successive league reverse on Chelsea.

"I believe we have enough strength to win the game and that is what we want to do," declared Wenger.

"If we turn up with a great performance – and I am convinced we will – we will beat them.

"Football is down to the performance on the day."

Almunia's continuing elbow problem means another chance for the much-maligned Lukasz Fabianski to stake his claim, having answered criticism with an impressive display in Belgrade, where he saved a late penalty in the 3-1 win.

"He had a good game and can just add another good game to the first one. That's what I want him to do and I am convinced he can do that," said Wenger.

"Our job is about grabbing your chance when you have it. You must be ready the day you have your chance.

"He has the talent, he has the potential, he has the desire, a great attitude, so it's all there to have a good game."

Chelsea have a couple of injury concerns of their own, with Wenger openly admitting he was pleased England midfielder Frank Lampard would not play due to a groin problem.

However, the Gunners will have to face their nemesis in Didier Drogba, the Ivory Coast striker having netted 12 goals in 10 games against Arsenal.

New centre-back pairing Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny will aim to shackle the 32-year-old.

"He has talent," said Wenger, who had scouted Drogba when the forward was at French club Guingamp, "He is a complete striker, which is why he has scored goals against many teams.

"We have to stop him, to be efficient against him and I am convinced we will do that on Sunday."

Should Arsenal lose at Stamford Bridge, they would be seven points adrift and potentially out of the top four should other results go against them.

The Arsenal manager continued: "Nobody is head and shoulders above the others, so it will be down to consistency, the way any team can improve from now until May.

"I believe we have a good room for improvement, a good attitude, good talent – it is important we turn up with a good performance on Sunday, but there is still a long way to go."

While Gibbs has been ruled out, 18-year-old midfielder Jack Wilshere is set to feature for the Under-21s at Carrow Road on Friday night, and could then be called into the senior squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro next week.

"I select him for my first team, that means he is good enough because all my players are internationals," said Wenger.

"But I am convinced he will be called up for the senior national team, if it is not this time it will be next. It is only a question of time. He is playing very well."

Chelsea assistant coach Ray Wilkins is hoping that Carlo Ancelotti's love of football will help him cope with the sad loss of his father.

Ancelotti's father Giuseppe, 87, passed away after illness with his son at his bedside this week and although it has been a very sad loss for the family, Wilkins is hoping that football will provide him with some of the support he needs at a difficult time.

Ancelotti is hoping to be back in the dugout tomorrow and Wilkins says: "He is football daft, he absolutely loves football and it is his passion. So he will want to be on that touchline on Sunday. His father was not very well for the last couple of months, so it has been a huge weight, albeit in very sad times, lifted off the whole family. The players were down and our training session was not as bright as it should have been."