With the news that Cesc is out for the next four months - which is virtually the rest of the season - I think any chance we had for trophies has all but gone. We have nobody else in the team who is like for like. Denilson looks on the verge of burnout, Diaby is either out of position or inconsistent and you can’t ask young Wilshere at his age to play the whole second half of the season.

Cesc is essential to the way we play. They say one man doesn't make a team, but in our case it's like taking one wheel off of a car and trying to drive it. You're not going to get very far. As the skipper he's also essential to the motivation of the team. We now have to look for another skipper as I don't think Almunia is up to it and Gallas ain't getting it back. My personal choice is Toure but what do I know, I'm just a fan who pays the money to watch the team I love.

It will be interesting to see if Wenger will spend anything. Hopefully the injury will give him a much-needed kick up the jacksie and he'll get the chequebook out and dust it off. If he doesn't then he might as well leave now. Regarding replacements, who do we get in? We need someone who can play in the Champions League, but where are you going to find anyone good enough that meets the criteria in January?

I hate being a defeatist when it comes to Arsenal, but we're just going to have to fight it out with Villa for 4th place and see how we go in the FA Cup - which is the easiest chance we have of winning something out of the three trophies - and in Europe against Roma. Like us, they're struggling, but are also very unpredictable in Europe. The rest of the season - especially in the league - is just going to be a damage limitation exercise.

I've never been so worried for Arsenal. If we don't make the Champions League this season then I think it will be a while before we do again and we can't have that. We would be heading for meltdown. On the positive side, the rest of the squad can use the injury as extra motivation to at least try and win something, for Fabregas, like when Bobby Pires got injured.

For me, the challenge with Alonso may have looked like a 50/50 but when one of the blokes comes out with an injury like that isn't that foul play more than occupational hazard? Don't get me started on that twit of a ref we had. I know it's Christmas but the amount of cards that idiot dished out was ridiculous. If Ade's was a red card offence then I'm Gandhi. How the equally stupid linesman missed Keane's x-rated challenge on Clichy, which was right in front of him, is beyond me. If that challenge was made on a Sunday over at Hackney Marshes then there would be people waiting in the car park after.

That aside, let's hope for the best at Villa on Boxing Day and for the rest of the season. Let's hope they do it for Cesc and, more importantly, do it for us fans.

C'mon you Gunners!