Arsenal and England lose captain to six week injury

Arsenal are considering an attempt to revive their interest in Juventus central defender Gianluca Pessotto now the severity of captain Tony Adams' hernia condition is clear.

The London club had talks about the defender last month with the Turin club and their negotiations to buy French striker Thierry Henry from Juve are going well.

The Arsenal club are now to look at defensive signings after selling veteran centre back Steve Bould to newly promoted Sunderland and seeing Adams put out of the start of the new season for six weeks after an operation to remove a double hernia in an injury that also damages the national team's attempts to end their Euro 2000 qualification process on a winning note.