Henry rested for Stoke tie

Thierry Henry will be absent from the Arsenal first team lineup for the first time this season today after being rested for the FA Cup third round clash with second division Stoke City. Apart from the League Cup, when coach Arsene Wenger has fielded a...

Thierry Henry will be absent from the Arsenal first team lineup for the first time this season today after being rested for the FA Cup third round clash with second division Stoke City.

Apart from the League Cup, when coach Arsene Wenger has fielded a reserve team, Henry has been an ever-present in the Premier League and Champions League, scoring 20 goals in 27 games.

He will be replaced for the Highbury clash by Jose Antonio Reyes. Henry gets a breather after a gruelling year for club and country.

"From Jan 1, 2004 until the game against Manchester City (on Tuesday), Thierry played 56 games for Arsenal," Wenger said.

"Add to that the qualifying for Euro 2004, then the championship itself and you get to 64, 65 games in one year... he definitely needs a rest."

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