Fredi's Back

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Fredi Kanoute returns to the side to face Arsenal at the weekend, with Glenn Roeder praying that he has an injury free season.

Glenn promises to alter the side after the 4-0 defeat at Newcastle, and says: "There are one or two options. Fredi looked sharp in training on Thursday morning and you could see that he wasn't having a problem with his neck at all, so he will be starting - and there will be one or two other changes.

"Fredi will always be missed because, amongst the present group of strikers, he is the one that gives us physical presence.

"You need that in all leagues but particularly the Premiership. In my opinion you couldn't play with two physically small players as your striking partnership.

"When you look around at other clubs that do particularly well, somewhere in the striking line up is a player who has got a fair bit of physical presence and strength - and Fredi is the only one at our club who is made like that.

"Whether it is Fredi and Paolo when he is fit, or Fredi and Jermain, it gives us a better chance of being successful with him in the team.

"I am a big fan of his and I feel he is still improving; he hasn't played a lot of football in his career.

"When he came to us from Lyons he hadn't had a lot of games under his belt and he is still relatively a young player.

"I thought he did very well last year and I expect him to have a better season this time around.

"He gives us the opportunity to retain possession and for us to build up moves."

Glenn would still ideally like to bring another forward to the club, but will not be making a move for Swiss international Alex Frei, who has trained with the club.

"He is a good player but he wasn't what we were looking for," says Glenn.

"It is that idea of physical presence - he acquitted himself well but wasn't exactly what we needed."

With time running out before the August 31 transfer window, Glenn knows he may end up being disappointed in his striker search, about which he says: "It is too difficult to call, but it is something we have to live with."