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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes he was tight in taking a gamble on the fitness of skipper Cesc Fabregas during the 3-0 win over Aston Villa.

The Spaniard had been out with a hamstring problem, and was given a spot on the bench with a view to being brought on only as a last ditch measure.

The score line remained goalless until the Frenchman decided to bring on Fabregas, who then went on to bag a brace and secure the three points for the Gunners – albeit in costly circumstances – as the Gunners No.4 could miss a further few weeks of action if tests prove his 27-minute cameo has aggravated his injury.

“I feel that I did the right thing, and would do it again,” Wenger said, according to the Press Association.

“Had we been 1-0 up I would not have done it, but at the end of the day you do what you think will win the game.

“Aston Villa are a team which makes you nervy because you can be dominant and lose the game.

“You could think ‘we were dominant and did not take advantage of it, so let’s be cautious’ – or you gamble a bit try to push it further and score. That is what I did.”

Following the victory, Arsenal are now four points behind league leaders Chelsea, albeit with a game in hand.

Real Madrid are not interested in signing Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal, according to the club’s sporting director Miguel Pardeza.

The Spanish giants insist they will not bid for the Arsenal playmaker even if they fail in their quest to land Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso.

Real have consistently been linked with a move for Fabregas but it seems former club Barcelona are favourites to snare him if he does leave the Emirates.

“He is a great player, there’s no doubt about that. But at this moment he is not an target for Real Madrid. The club are working on other alternatives,” he said.

Pardeza also confirmed negotiations with Liverpool over Alonso had reached an impasse, but that they still hadn’t given up hope of resolving the situation.

“Madrid must not discard an option until it’s totally gone. Now there is an insurmountable financial barrier, but it’s something that could change. We’re looking for alternatives, although there aren’t many.”

Madrid have already spent close to £200million on four new signings – Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol – this summer but are still looking to add a couple more players as they seek a return to winning ways after ending last season empty-handed.

Two of those new arrivals, Ronaldo and Benzema, were part of the Madrid squad that started pre-season training today.

Also taking to the pitches at Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground this morning were new coach Manuel Pellegrini, who replaced Juande Ramos in June after five seasons at Villarreal, as well as Ezequiel Garay and Alvaro Negredo.

Centre-back Garay was signed from Racing Santander last summer but remained on loan at the Cantabrian club, while highly-rated striker Negredo has spent the last two seasons on loan at Almeria.

A selection of youth team players were amongst the 29 players who trained today, while Mohamadou Diarra and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who both missed most of last season with injury, also took part in the session.

However, the club’s other two big summer signings to date, Kaka and Albiol, along with Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Javi Garcia and Dani Parejo were all absent as they are still holidaying due to their international commitments this summer.

On Monday, Madrid will travel to Ireland for a training camp that lasts until July 22.

Once Madrid complete that trip, during which they will face Shamrock Rovers in a friendly, the team return to the Spanish capital to take part in the Peace Cup from July 26 to August 2, after which they are scheduled to head to North America for matches in Toronto and DC United on August 7 and 9.

Madrid have also organised a match against Borussia Dortmund on August 19, before facing AC Milan in the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy on August 25 ahead of the start of the new Primera Division season.

Madrid’s season will open with a home game against Deportivo La Coruna.

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Barca are hoping to reduce the fee for Cesc Fabregas, by throwing the unwanted pair into the mix.

Barcelona could use a former Arsenal midfielder in their bid to prise Cesc Fabregas away from The Emirates.

Arsenal are rumoured to want around €46million for Fabregas, and the Blaugrana are now looking for ways to get around paying such a vast sum.

According to The Daily Mail, Barca are set to offer Aliaksandr Hleb in part exchange. The Belorussian international hardly got a look in during his first season at the Camp Nou, and despite stating his intention to stay and fight for a place, would be tempted by the chance to return to more familiar surroundings.

However, whether Arsene Wenger would be willing to bring Hleb back is another matter.

Apparently Barcelona are also considering throwing Eidur Gudjohnsen into the mix, as the Icelandic international looks set on a move to England.

Spain’s FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 got underway on Sunday with a resounding 5-0 defeat of New Zealand, in which Cesc Fabregas played a starring role. The midfielder delivered an outstanding performance, helping to open the floodgates with a perfect assist for Fernando Torres and later capping a perfect first half for both himself and La Roja by claiming goal number four.

It was a red-letter day for the Arsenal player, having never previously started for Spain in the first match of a major tournament. In an exclusive interview with FIFA.com, Fabregas talked about maintaining the rich vein of form that he and the team are enjoying, as well as the upcoming meeting with Iraq.

A dream start
The No10 was understandably delighted with Spain’s start to the tournament, and while acknowledging that New Zealand were just the first hurdle, was full of praise for the way Vicente del Bosque’s charges swept them aside. “We played really well. It’s always important to start with a win and that’s just what we did. But we realise that this is just the beginning and that there’s a long way to go in the Confederations Cup,” he said.

Spain’s next opponents will be Iraq, who played out a scoreless draw against hosts South Africa in the tournament opener. A win would ensure the European champions’ progression into the semi-finals, but Fabregas is not getting ahead of himself. “We know we’re favourites but we’ve got to be wary going into these matches. We saw the game between South Africa and Iraq before travelling to the stadium and we’re going to analyse the video. We’ll be taking the remaining matches extremely seriously,” he warned.

Although Fabregas believes that Spain are serious contenders for the title, he does not go so far as to install La Seleccion as outright favourites. “There’s still a long way to go,” he said. “It’s true that our first game was easier than we thought, but it’s a long tournament, and there are some excellent teams to come. We’re very confident but we have to remain composed.

Winning a place in Spain’s starting XI was another source of pride for the 22-year-old, although he talks down the achievement: “It’s not as though I wasn’t a regular before this tournament. I came on as a substitute in many games and played 30 minutes or more, so in total I played for longer than a lot of the players who started. I’ve always felt like a regular on the team, and I think I’ve played my part in our success.”

Fabregas does admit, however, that there is something special about being on the pitch from the outset and lining up for the anthems. “Naturally ever player wants to start games, but there are fantastic players in this team, all of whom are good enough to be out on the pitch. That’s why breaking into the starting eleven is no easy task.”

All in all, it was a memorable evening, which Fabregas hopes to relive in the upcoming games. “I played well, as did the whole team. It was a great way to set the ball rolling, and I hope that from here we can improve with every game,” he concluded.

From : fifa.com