Carlos Vela's Swine Flu Scare Disrupts Arsenal Preparations

Arsenal's preparations for Old Trafford were threatened by a swine flu scare. Arsène Wenger revealed that Carlos Vela, the Mexico striker, in whose country the virus has claimed more than 150 lives, was instructed to stay at home on Tuesday for tests, after friends from Mexico visited him last week.

The friends had also, according to Wenger, spent time at Arsenal's training ground.

"It [swine flu] looks to be a massive problem and we were asked to keep Vela at home on Tuesday, not to allow him to the training ground," said Wenger.

"It was down to the fact that he had a visit from Mexican friends, who came to visit him last week and who came to stay at our training ground."

Vela, though, was given the all-clear to resume training yesterday morning, before the squad traveled north to Manchester, and he is expected to be named as a substitute for the game.