Wenger will play two strikers.

Arsène Wenger,Hleb is unlikely to play up front on a permanent basis this season.

Injuries meant the Belarus midfielder supported Van Persie frontman for the first two games of the season before reverting to his more usual wide role at Blackburn on Sunday.

Hleb scored in both his games alongside the Dutchman but Wenger has suggested Adebayor will have recovered from his groin injury for the visit of Manchester City on Saturday.

If the Togolese striker is back then Arsenal will have their full compliment of strikers once more. It means Hleb’s brief sojourn up front will be over.

“Alex likes to play through the middle,” admitted Wenger. “But I must say if you ask Steven Gerrard or Tomas Rosicky or any of these kinds of creative players then they all say they want to play there.

“However I cannot isolate Robin van Persie up there the whole year. It does not work on a longer period. It can work in some games but it cannot be the basis of your game. You need two strikers.”