WENGER BLAST

But Hughes hasn’t the slightest worry he will need to take him to one side.

The Potters boss said: “I know he will just get on with the job.

“He will get his head down because that’s the kind of guy he is. I want him to stay. I don’t need to have a chat with him.

“If I saw a change in his attitude that would be different – but I don’t expect to.”

Walters is in line for a place against Arsenal at the Emirates tomorrow, as is Bojan.

The former Barcelona star hasn’t started a had were not convincing at all.”

Wenger admitted he knew prior to the deadline that Welbeck needed a knee operation which would sideline the England hitman for three months.

But he denied lying to the fans, despite claiming the day before last month’s win at Newcastle that Welbeck would be back within days.

He said: “On Friday morning I did not know Welbeck had a bad setback. I did not lie to you, I gave you the information I had.

“I heard late on Friday night his condition had not evolved as well as we thought and he needed specialist investigation.”

To make matters worse, Premier League game for eight months after he had knee ligament surgery following an injury in an FA Cup tie at Rochdale. main striker Olivier Giroud is bang out of form, with the France striker booed off after having a shocker against Serbia on Monday.

But Wenger is standing by his compatriot, saying of the boo-boy treatment: “Giroud has my full support. There is no striker in the world who has not been questioned.”

It is not only the striking department giving cause for concern as Arsenal look for their first home win of the season against Stoke tomorrow.

Jack Wilshere had been pencilled in for a return but he has suffered a blow in his recovery from a broken ankle.

Wenger said: “Unfortunately he will not be available for Saturday. He had a little setback.”