Eduardo Three Weeks Away From Competitive Action

Arsène Wenger has offered Arsenal supporters timely encouragement by indicating that Eduardo da Silva may make a surprise early return to the first-team set-up next month, but at the same time the Frenchman criticized the fans for not giving the team the support he feels they deserve.

Arsenal's manager of 12 years, speaking at the club's annual general meeting yesterday, sought a show of support from those present by stressing the positives at the Emirates after an inconsistent opening to the campaign. Eduardo, who suffered a broken leg in a challenge by Birmingham City's Martin Taylor in February, has stepped up his recovery program and may yet be joined in the side by new signings in the January transfer window.

"Eduardo is three weeks away from playing competitive football," said Wenger, who expects to be without the injured Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky until after Christmas. "What I mean by 'competitive football' is joining in completely with a normal training session. After that he has to come back to match fitness. But he is ahead of where we expected him to be and that is fantastic news.

"As for new signings, we will not rule anything out. We want to win at the end of the season and, if we feel that signings are needed in January to accomplish that, we will do so."

There has been criticism of Wenger's reliance upon youth rather than adding to the squad more lavishly with experienced players, but he urged supporters to get behind his side and complained that the Emirates Stadium was subdued at times.

"You are all very quiet, a little bit like the game on Saturday," said Wenger, flanked by the club's new board member, Stan Kroenke. "It is a recession mood but it will not last, do not worry. I would like to give you some reasons to cheer up and be optimistic and to share my optimism with you. I feel the club is well managed financially and I am very proud that we live within the resources we create from our own business.

"The structure of our team is fantastic but very young. That means that tomorrow will be better than yesterday. But today, when you have such a young team, you have to be intelligent. Instead of showing resentment we have to believe in our team more than ever because this team will deliver. But the younger you are the more you need support, and I ask you as well to be proud of them and to show your support.

"At the moment I do not feel that either from the media or our supporters that this team gets the support it deserves. That is why I think they need a stronger guide than ever and I want to get this team to deliver not next year but this year."

Dennis Bergkamp has revealed that he would consider returning to England as a coach. The former Arsenal striker, 39, retired in 2006 and has kept a low profile since then, though he has started a coaching course. "People ask me the question if I could come back to England one day to coach and I say yes," he said. "I always enjoyed it here and it's a fantastic country to be involved in football. Maybe in the future I will be back in some way."