Wenger fires off warning at Ferguson

Arsene Wenger today warned Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson that he was wasting his time by trying to unsettle his players before the start of the Premiership campaign.

The Arsenal manager hit back at jibes from Ferguson who said that Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira was blocked from joining United last season - even though he wanted to leave Highbury.

Ferguson also insisted that United were still the best team in England and the biggest club in the world - despite the fact that Arsenal won the double last season.

Wenger said that Ferguson's remarks have made no impression on either him or his players as they prepare to defend their Premiership and FA Cup titles.

Wenger said: "It is important to continue focusing on what we do and what we want to achieve and not what people say. I have no reaction at all to his comments.

"I don't mind what he says but it is a bit early for mind games. I don't take it at all seriously. At the moment I am concentrating on getting my team fit for the first game of the season.

"This team is highly focused and concentrated in training and they are very hungry and motivated. What is important is that Patrick Vieira is our captain, plays for us and is highly committed to us."

Arsenal finished their preseason games with a 2-1 victory over Conference side Barnet last night. But it wasn't without the loss of Nigerian international Nwankwo Kanu, who was stretchered off with a sprained ankle in the second half.

He will now be out for at least a fortnight and is almost certain to miss the first game of the season against Birmingham.

Kanu had put Arsenal ahead in the opening period but was forced out of the action after catching his studs in the turf and badly twisting his ankle.

The set-back leaves Wenger with a mounting injury list before Sunday's Community Challenge clash with Liverpool at Cardiff 's Millennium Stadium.

He will have just three fit strikers to call on - Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Dennis Bergkamp.

Wenger said: "It looked bad for Kanu but we hope he will only be out for two weeks. It was unlucky because he only just came back from a bad injury to the same ankle in the World Cup.

Kanu will undergo a scan today to determine the extent of the injury and he joins Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Giovanni van Bronckhorst on the Highbury injury list.

Last night Barnet battled bravely against Arsenal and equalised through Mark Arber. He headed the ball beyond substitute goalkeeper Fabien Carini who was making his first appearance since signing from Juventus on a year's loan. Matthew Upson scored the winner for Arsenal with a late header.

Meanwhile, £4.5 million signing Gilberto Silva is expected to be granted a work permit today. World Cupwinner Silva missed last night's game at Underhill after returning to Brazil to bring his family here.