Last cup chance looms for ailing Arsenal

LONDON, March 6 (Reuters) Arsenal risk a third cup calamity in under two weeks when the troubled north London club host PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League first knockout round tie tomorrow.

Beaten by Chelsea in the League Cup final on February 25 and knocked out of the FA Cup by Blackburn Rovers three days later, Arsenal are now gazing down the barrel of a Champions League exit after losing the first leg 1-0 in Eindhoven two weeks ago.

The club are also under a disciplinary cloud after a mass brawl in Cardiff which led to three players being banned and the club, along with Chelsea, being charged with misconduct.

On top of the bans for Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Ivorian defenders Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, manager Arsene Wenger has been asked by the FA to explain his accusations that a linesman lied in his report after the final.

As if that were not enough, Arsenal's captain and prolific striker Thierry Henry is a major doubt for tomorrow after a foot injury, while attacking midfielder Tomas Rosicky is definitely out with a groin strain.

Add the absence of long-term injured forward Robin van Persie and the problems are clearly mounting for a club who reached last season's final with eventual winners Barcelona.

The only bright spot is that the three domestic bans do not extend to European competition, though Eboue needs to prove his fitness after an ankle injury last week.

Should Eboue come up short, Swiss central defender Johan Djourou would probably deputise as fullback, as he did for Saturday's welcome 2-1 league victory over Reading.

PSV defenders Manuel Da Costa (laryngitis) and Jan Kromkamp (hamstring) have been ruled out of the game.

Eric Addo is set to replace Da Costa while Chinese Sun Xiang could start on the left in place of Kromkamp. Sun became the first Chinese player to feature in a Champions League match when he came on as a 66th-minute substitute in the first leg.

The Dutch side also have goalkeeper Gomes, skipper Phillip Cocu, defenders Alex and Carlos Salcido and midfielder Timmy Simons receiving treatment but all are expected to be fit.

Midfielder Ibrahim Afellay is rated doubtful as he battles to recover from a hamstring strain. Teenage defender Dirk Marcellis has been added to PSV's squad.

REUTERS PDS ND1516