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* Arsenal win with early Squillaci goal

* Fabregas and Walcott join injury list (adds details)

LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Arsenal beat Stoke City 1-0 to cut Manchester United’s Premier League lead to one point on Wednesday but the win was overshadowed by injuries to Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott.

Sebastien Squillaci, who was playing in place of the injured Laurent Koscielny, was the unlikely match-winner when he headed home his first Premier League goal after only eight minutes.

However, Fabregas went off with a hamstring injury after 15 minutes and Walcott was stretchered off with a damaged ankle 20 minutes from time and will miss Sunday’s League (Carling) Cup final against Birmingham City at Wembley.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told reporters: “Theo Walcott has an ankle sprain and he is out. For how long, I don’t know, but he is definitely out of Sunday.

“Fabregas has a hamstring problem. We will assess that tomorrow. It is impossible to see how serious it is tonight. We will know tomorrow.” With Arsenal chasing four trophies in the Premier League, League Cup, Champions League and FA Cup, Wenger will be concerned about a lengthening injury list.

Dutch winger Robin Van Persie and Koscielny are already doubtful for Wembley, and although Fabregas went off as a precautionary step, he will be desperate to play against Barcelona in the Champions League at the Nou Camp on March 8.

Walcott’s woes looked more serious after he was carried off the Emirates Stadium pitch following a challenge from Stoke’s Dean Whitehead. As he fell, his left ankle caught and twisted in the turf and he looked to be in some pain.

The three points left Arsenal with 56 points from 27 games, while United are on 57 with a game in hand. Manchester City are a distant third with 49 points from their 27 games.

United were in action in France on Wednesday, drawing 0-0 with Olympique Marseille in their Champions League last-16 first leg match.

Arsenal asserted their dominance early in the game when Walcott hit the post in the opening minutes before Squillaci, guilty of some erratic performances this season, scored after a cross from Nicklas Bendtner following a Jack Wilshere corner.

While Stoke’s defenders ball-watched, Squillaci ran in to head home from close range.

After Fabregas went off, Arsenal appeared to lose some cohesion and Stoke went close to an equaliser with John Carew, Jermaine Pennant, Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth all having good chances to score.

However, Arsenal’s defence held firm and Stoke were beaten away for the fifth successive league match leaving them 10th in the table.

(Editing by John Mehaffey and Alan Baldwin; To comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Labels: Arsenal, INJURIES, overshadowed, Reuters

Captain Andrew Strauss admitted England's injury crisis had left him a bowler short as Australia completed their highest-ever run chase to win the sixth one-day international in Sydney by two wickets.

Jonathan Trott hit a career-best 137, from 126 balls, to play the lead role in stifling heat as England cast their recent batting woes aside to post 333 for six.

But it was not enough as a depleted bowling line-up allowed Australia, led by 82 from their under-fire acting captain Michael Clarke, to run down their record chase with four balls to spare.

It was a morale-sapping defeat for England made worse by a back injury to Paul Collingwood which was suffered attempting to heave the final ball of the innings and prevented him from bowling.

With Collingwood already filling an unfamiliar fifth bowlers' role due to England's injury problems, it was left to Trott and Kevin Pietersen - who also briefly left the field after rolling his ankle - to make up the lost 10 overs.

It proved costly as they conceded 72 runs between them to allow Australia to maintain their blazing start, after opener Shane Watson hit 51 from 34 balls.

"At the moment we are a bit short on bowlers full stop," said Strauss, after news during the game that quicks Ajmal Shahzad (hamstring) and Chris Tremlett (side) were set to fly home tomorrow due to injury.

They join Graeme Swann (back/knee) and Tim Bresnan (calf) in leaving the tour early,.

Strauss added: "We have been forced into (playing a bowler light) right at the moment.

"It's not ideal, I need five bowlers, there is no doubt.

"Ideally you will have six bowlers at your disposal; five specialists and a Collingwood-type bowler."

Strauss is likely to have more options when the World Cup starts later this month, with all of his bowlers due to be fit in time for the February 22 opener against Holland.

"We are going to have to decide what the best way of winning games out on the sub-continent is," he added.

"The likelihood is there are going to be two spinners involved and that allows you to play with six bowlers."

Strauss blamed the batsmen after they conceded the series with a 51-run reverse in Brisbane, but after Trott anchored a cohesive batting performance he was left to lament another defeat which leaves England 5-1 behind heading into the final match of the series in Perth on Sunday.

"It's very frustrating because it was a top-notch batting performance all-round," Strauss said.

"For Trotty to bat through the innings in that sort of heat was an outstanding performance, it was a monumental innings. He deserved to be on the winning side.

"We weren't helped with Paul Collingwood not being able to bowl his 10 overs, but ultimately we allowed then to get off to far too fast a start with the new ball."

Strauss also revealed that Collingwood's injury could rule him out of the final match in Perth.

"He had a back spasm so he couldn't walk very well and he certainly couldn't bowl," he added.

Trott's century was his second of the series and his fourth of a rich tour of Australia with the bat.

The right-hander may not have been regarded as an automatic selection in England's one-day team before the series, but he is now set to head into the World Cup as the in-form batsman.

"I don't think it's about proving anyone wrong, it's about proving to yourself more than anything," said Trott, who was forced to call a runner soon after bringing up his milestone after he started to cramp in the heat.

"I've always felt I can contribute towards the team in one-day cricket and all forms of the game.

"It's nice to be able to do it but it feels better when you are winning games."

Clarke has silenced a number of his critics in the past two games with back-to-back half-centuries, having been booed to the crease during Sunday's victory at the Gabba.But after receiving a rousing reception from his home-town crowd, Clarke produced the decisive innings as he hit 82 from 70 balls.

He was run out by Trott with seven needed, but his side snuck home when John Hastings' inside edge ran to the boundary in the final over from Chris Woakes.

"To make some runs is always satisfying and it's great to make them in front of my family and friends, my home crowd," he said.

"I love playing at the SCG. Like I've said before I've had a lot of support from a lot of people. They just don't happen to be in the paper."

Clarke also said the chase would stand the team in good stead for their World Cup defence on the sub-continent.

"The boys are stoked. It's a huge win for us and again we can take a lot of confidence from that run chase going into the World Cup," he added.

"I think there's going to be some pretty big scores in the World Cup, some pretty flat wickets similar to that."

Clarke also revealed that all-rounder Steven Smith would not travel with the team to Perth tomorrow due to a hip injury that left him needing the use of a runner in Australia's chase.

Labels: BOWLER, England, INJURIES, LEAVE, SHORT, Sportinglifecom, STRAUSS