Gunners focused on Lens

Thierry Henry (left) will not feature for Arsenal

Uefa Cup semi-final, first leg
Arsenal v Lens
Thursday 2000 BST

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be out for revenge when his side take on Lens in the first-leg of their Uefa Cup semi-final at Highbury on Thursday.

The French club sent the Gunners out of the Champions league last season with a 2-1 victory at Wembley and Wenger will be hoping to take a considerable advantage into the second-leg.

Arsenal are experiencing a fine run of form

The Gunners have been buoyed by the news that Nigerian star Kanu has been cleared to play in the clash, after initially being called up by his country.

Skipper and defender Tony Adams, who has missed the last two matches with a groin injury, is not fit and will hand over the captain's armband to Lee Dixon.

Wenger will also be without Thierry Henry who was suspended after being sent off against Werder Bremen in the away leg on 23 March.

Dixon said: "There's nothing more in this game against Lens than our ambition to reach the UEFA Cup final.

"It is a good draw for us in as much as France is not a bad distance to go for the second leg.

"And for obvious reasons, we wanted to avoid Leeds at this stage as well as a difficult trip to Turkey to face Galatasaray.

"We should have beaten Lens instead of just drawing our first game against them in France and it really cost us when they beat us 1-0 at Wembley - but it is no use holding grudges against teams who you haven't done well against.

"My only thought is that we are on a roll again after five wins in a row and if we play well again we can reach the final now. It would be a tremendous boost after another disappointment in the Champions League this season."

We're playing against extra-terrestrials but I'm not jealous

Lens president Gervais Martel

Superb victories over Deportivo Coruna (5-1 at Highbury) and Werder (2-0 at home and 4-2 away) and five successive cup and league wins are evidence enough that Arsenal can turn on the style.

Lens have predictably played down their chances of success.

Club president Gervais Martel, who guided the northern French club to their first national title two years ago, said the London club were certainly firm favourites.

Lens are the undoubted underdogs for the clash

"Arsenal cannot be compared with Lens," Martel said.

"If you ask Arsene Wenger, he'll tell you how happy he is to have such a big cheque book.

"If Thierry Henry is not available, he's got Davor Suker or Dennis Bergkamp on the bench.

"As for me, I'm happy to have Charles-Edouard Coridon and Mawene," he said. "We're playing against extra-terrestrials but I'm not jealous."

After a lacklustre start to this season which saw coach Daniel Leclercq sacked, Lens have recovered well and are now the only French team left in Europe.

"To be the last French team left does not make me happy," Martel said. "Fortunately, passion helps us to run in 10 seconds when we're actually worth 10.5."