Henry misses showdown with Spurs

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LONDON, England -- Arsenal captain Thierry Henry will miss Saturday's north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur after suffering a recurrence of a neck injury.

Manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports News on Friday: "The bad news is he is not fit, but the good news is we are focused on winning the game."

Henry missed the Premier League defeat at Bolton Wanderers but returned in midweek at Fulham where Arsenal suffered another setback.

Those defeats almost certainly killed off their faint title chances, but Wenger put on a brave face saying: "I think it is a good time (to play Tottenham) as we want to bounce back from our two disappointments and win our game."

Spurs, who were denied a Champions League place by Arsenal on the final day of last season, will face a team that draws heavily on young players.

Responding to criticizm that his sides are simply too young for the demands of the English top-flight, Wenger said: "I feel I have a strong team. It is right that they are young and I believe in them.

"They will get there as they are strong players and will develop very quickly. I know exactly what I want to achieve with them and I will get to where I want to go.

"I am convinced we are on the right track and this will show through."

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