Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor to return from injury for Togo
Emmanuel Adebayor is set to give Arsenal a boost by returning to action this weekend after Togo officials claimed the striker, missing for the last 10 games with a hamstring injury, is set to face Cameroon in Ghana on Saturday.
Adebayor suffered the injury during the first half of the goalless draw against Tottenham in early February but Togo expect him to play and, if he comes through unscathed, could be available for Arsenal's home game against Manchester City a week on Saturday.
Arsenal will monitor the situation carefully given that Theo Walcott is out for a fortnight after injuring his knee in training last week.
Adebayor trained as normal yesterday and a Togo official said: "Adebayor hasn't joined up with us for nothing. He will play in his role as captain as he always has, as this is a huge match for Togo."
The game against Cameroon is first match of the last round of combined qualifying for the 2010 World Cup and African Nations Cup and is being played in the Ghanaian capital Accra because Togo are banned from playing at Lome's Kegue stadium after violence flared during a 2-0 defeat to Mali there in October 2007.
Meanwhile, Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has revealed that he is considering making an application for a British passport and could be available for England.
The Spaniard, 32 later this year, has been at Arsenal since July 2004, and remains hopeful that could give Fabio Capello a problem by making himself available in the future.
The goalkeeper was born in Pamplona but under residency laws would soon be eligible to apply to become a naturalised British citizen.
Despite being a regular in the Champions League – and playing in the 2006 final against Barcelona when Jens Lehmann was sent off – Almunia has yet to be called up to the Spain team and does not see much chance of dislodging 27-year-old Iker Casillas as the country's first-choice goalkeeper.
While any application is not about to be processed imminently, there remains genuine possibility that Almunia would be available for selection to England coach Capello – or any of the other home nations – in time for the build-up to the 2010 World Cup.
"People are asking this question now because I have been in England for five years and am able to apply for a passport," Almunia said in a webchat witharsenal.com, sponsored by EA Sports.
"I am taking in the information, what I need to do for a passport. In think, for January next year, maybe I can have the permission.
"Maybe I will get a passport, then after, if I get the call-up [from England], I will think about this."
Post time 25-3-2009 03:21 PM
??? 
even though the Spaniards value him at £15m. 
