LONDON (AP) - Arsene Wenger has called on his embattled Arsenal players to show their strength at Manchester City on Saturday, as the club deals with captain William Gallas’ revelations of dressing room unrest.

The Gunners manager’s plans had already been rocked by winger Theo Walcott being ruled out for three months, when Gallas told The Associated Press in an interview that there were rifts in the squad and said the team’s young stars aren’t brave enough to contend for the Premier League title.

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Wenger, though, is confident that the team can recover from last weekend’s fourth loss of the season against Aston Villa - despite Cesc Fabregas being suspended and Walcott’s long-term absence.

“We have to cope,” Wenger told Arsenal TV on Friday. “Our strengths are being tested, but we have to take it as an opportunity to show that we are strong, that’s how we have to deal with it.”

Arsenal’s season seemed to be back on track after beating Manchester United two weeks ago, but is now nine points adrift leaders Chelsea and Liverpool as Wenger searches for his first title since 2004.

“I feel at the moment there is potential in the team,” Wenger said. “We have, in an intelligent way, to get the potential out of the team and transform it into consistency.”

Wenger hasn’t spoken to media since Gallas’ outbursts surfaced on Thursday, but could fine his captain a maximum of two weeks’ wages for the comments - as he did last month after seeing photographs of him leaving a nightclub with a cigarette in his mouth.

Former England and Aston Villa manager Graham Taylor said Wenger should strip Gallas of the captaincy.

“He knows what he’s looking for as a leader, as a captain,” Taylor said. “If he feels that Gallas isn’t doing that then I think he’s wrong if he continues with him.

“I would have thought by now a manager of Arsene Wenger’s caliber knows what makes a good captain, and I’m somewhat surprised that he still has stuck with Gallas even after that Birmingham situation.”

Gallas refused to leave the field last season after a 2-2 draw at Birmingham that damaged Arsenal’s fading hopes of winning the title.

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Despite Arsenal’s problems, Manchester City manager Mark Hughes expects a tough challenge as his team looks for its first league win in almost a month.

“People say that Arsenal may be the most vulnerable of the so-called big four but on their day they are as good as anyone in the division,” Hughes said. “They know we are a threat as well and I am sure they will not be relishing their journey up here.

“Tomorrow’s game should be a great spectacle. Both teams have an abundance of attacking players and sometimes it is just best to rely on what you are good at. Although we need to be defensively tighter there are moments when attacking wise we are as good as anybody.”

Manchester United is only one point ahead of Arsenal and must win at Aston Villa on Saturday to keep up with the pacesetters, although the defending champion does have a game in hand over their rivals in the top four.

“It is important for us to win on Saturday,” winger Ryan Giggs said. “We can’t really afford any more mistakes as we’re already behind Chelsea and Liverpool at the top.”

Villa beat Arsenal for the first time in a decade last weekend, and now wants to end its 13-year wait for a victory over the Red Devils.

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“That result wasn’t a surprise because Villa can do that to teams,” Giggs said. “They have quality and pace and have been there or thereabouts near the top for the past couple of years.

“Martin O’Neill has added a few more players this season and they are a quality side. They have some really dangerous players, especially going forward - (Gabriel) Agbonlahor, (John) Carew, Ashley Young.”

United will be without defenders Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown, as well as striker Dimitar Berbatov, but Wayne Rooney could return up front.

Liverpool and Chelsea, which share the lead on 32 points will both be without influential players.

Reds captain Steven Gerrard won’t face Fulham after failing to recover from a torn groin muscle that kept him out of England’s 2-1 victory at Germany on Wednesday.

Chelsea’s Frank Lampard also withdrew from the international squad but is set to play Saturday’s match against Newcastle due to a rib injury, while striker Didier Drogba starts a three-match ban.

“Frank’s injury is better. He started to train on Thursday and he is in good condition for tomorrow’s game,” Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said. “We have lost Didier, but when he comes back he will be better than before.”

Just 10 points separate sixth-place Hull and West Bromwich Albion, which is bottom of the 20-team league, so there could be considerable shifts in the standings over the weekend.

On Saturday, Middlesbrough hosts Bolton, Hull is at Portsmouth and Stoke faces West Brom. Tottenham and Blackburn, both looking to climb out of the relegation zone, meet Sunday before Sunderland takes on West Ham. On Monday, Wigan plays Everton.

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