Both have been ruled out of Arsenal's European Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday.

The news completes a treble blow for manager Arsene Wenger.

He is already without Dennis Bergkamp, who will not travel to Ukraine because of his fear of air travel.

Any hope of captain Adams recovering from back trouble have now also disappeared.

Steve Bould, 36 in two weeks, will stay in as Adams' replacement in central defence and also retain the captaincy.

But the loss of Overmars is a headache the French manager could do without.

Bergkamp's fellow Dutchman has an abdominal injury which forced his substitution late in the game against Coventry on Saturday and will not even make the journey to Kiev.

Wenger was set to switch him from the wing to take Bergkamp's place alongside Nicolas Anelka in attack.

Now the job will almost certainly go to Liberian international Christopher Wreh, who has recovered from the ankle injury which kept him out of the Coventry game.

That still leaves a vacancy on the left wing and Wenger must decide between Portuguese winger Luis Boa Morte and former England Under-21 midfielder Stephen Hughes.

Wenger's plan

Wenger said: "I have the plan of the team in my mind already, but it is just one or two positions I'm not sure about yet tactically.

"Of course it is a big problem losing so many top players especially for a game like this, but I have faith in my squad.

"We have produced results many times when important players have been missing."

Kiev's equaliser has set up a crucial second meeting

Arsenal go to the Ukraine following a 1-1 draw with Kiev at Wembley two weeks ago.

Only a last-minute equaliser by Sergei Rebrov stopped them winning, but the Gunners were outplayed for long spells in the match before Bergkamp's goal put them in front.

Dynamo, whom Wenger named as the favourites to win Group E and progress automatically to the quarter-finals have still to score their first victory.

But they will climb over Arsenal on goal difference if they beat them in the 100,000 capacity Olympic Stadium on Wednesday night.

Andrei Shevchenko, their talented centre-forward whom AC Milan want to buy for £18m, injured an ankle in the game against CSKA Kiev last week.

Wenger thinks he will play.