ARSENE HIT BY STRIKER CRISIS

WENGER is facing a striker crisis ahead of tomorrow’s clash against Southampton after Danny Welbeck picked up a thigh problem. With Olivier Giroud suspended, Welbeck (right) was a certainty to play in the lone striker role on New Year’s Day. But the England forward is a doubt for the trip to St Mary’s, meaning Wenger could be without a recognised striker. Wenger confirmed: ‘We have one alert after the game at West Ham and that’s Danny Welbeck, he could be short for Thursday.’ Lukas Podolski looks to be the favourite to play in the striker role if Welbeck fails to prove his fitness, with Theo Walcott only just returning from injury. And Wenger, who also revealed Aaron Ramsey will not be fit for the trip, has slammed Inter Milan for their offer to sign Podolski. The Serie A club want to take the Germany international on loan until the end of the season when the transfer window re-opens tomorrow. Inter want to pay a £1.5million loan fee, but Wenger laughed off the Italians’ offer, saying: ‘That is a joke, Inter Milan are not serious. ‘He’s a player of Arsenal Football Club and I want him to stay.’ However, Wenger did hint that he could allow Yaya Sanogo to leave on loan in January, admitting that a deal was ‘not impossible.’ Wenger also called on the football authorities to ban players who have been exposed as divers. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho this week claimed there was a campaign to paint his players as divers after Cesc Fabregas was booked for simulation, and Wenger said: ‘I’m against diving. We should punish after the game. ‘The problem will be to decide when it was obvious diving or not. That’s a big issue and sometimes it’s not obvious. We should punish only obvious