McClaren ready to ring the changes for FA Cup

Wenger has admitted he will be resting super striker Thierry Henry for this afternoon's FA Cup fourth-round tie, despite a shortage of available forwards.

But McClaren has also decided to play his own mind games by insisting he has learned from mistakes he made before the 4-1 demolition job inflicted by Henry and co in the Premiership two weeks ago.

Most of the players who started that league encounter also played their part in matches with Notts County and Fulham in a seven-day spell building up to Boro's first trip to Highbury.

McClaren believes his side's poor display was a result of playing too many games in a short period of time and he is ready to make changes today, just like Wenger.

"Arsenal look at the bigger picture," said McClaren, who could choose to leave out Ugo Ehiogu, who was risked with a groin problem when the two sides met in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night.

"They are resting Henry and I don't blame them because their main priority is the Champions League and the league, just like Manchester United.

"But we also have to look at the bigger picture. We will have had five games in 14 days and we have to remember that.

"When we lost in the league at Highbury, it was our third game in a row and ten of the players played in all three games. I think it showed because we looked tired that day and we couldn't keep up the tempo. I really do think we suffered.

"When we go there on Saturday we know that it will be three games in a week again and we know that we may have to freshen things up. If we do that we will re-energise in a few positions."

The omission of Henry will come as a relief to Boro, who were on the wrong end of his scintillating showing in the league when he scored one and humiliated full-back Danny Mills.

But Arsenal are likely to have Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp back in contention for a place, although they are without strikers Sylvain Wiltord and Jeremi Aliadiere through injury and Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu, who is playing in the African Nations Cup.

McClaren said: "Henry is a big player for them, but they have Bergkamp, Pires, Ljungberg and Vieira, so they are still a formidable side.

"People say it was only a second string when we played them on Tuesday in the Carling Cup but they had eight or nine internationals in that side, players that anyone would have in their team.

"So any team put out by Arsenal, Man. United or Chelsea is going to be a tough side."

Boro are without Doriva through suspension today while both Gareth Southgate and Colin Cooper are ruled out with hamstring injuries.

Arsenal are hoping to lift the FA Cup for the third successive year and they have not been defeated in the competition since losing to Liverpool in the 2001 final.

But after Boro's success in the Carling Cup McClaren said: "Mentally I think it was important that we won on Tuesday.

"A lot of people didn't expect us to get a result no matter what side we put out.

"We have then got them coming to us on Wednesday night for the second leg of the Carling Cup and hopefully we can reach the final.

"We have always been to Highbury and given them tough games. It's a great experience and I'm not sick of the sight of the place just yet. Going there so often makes us a better team and better players because of the experienced gained from playing there."

* Arsene Wenger insisted Arsenal would prove in their FA Cup fourth-round tie against Middlesbrough that they can win without Thierry Henry after handing his leading scorer his own winter break.

Henry will not even be on the bench at Highbury today, leaving Dennis Bergkamp as the only front-line striker available to the FA Cup holders.

In fact, the Frenchman has not been involved in training during the past week after being told to go away on holiday, as well as missing all three cup clashes against Boro.

Wenger insists he is still taking the FA Cup clash seriously, with Fredrik Ljungberg or Robert Pires expected to fill in up front.

However, his priority has been to ensure that Henry is properly rested after missing just one Barclaycard Premiership game all season.

''Thierry won't be in the team or on the bench. I had to do it at some stage and, looking at the fixtures, this is the only opportunity to do it,'' he revealed. ''We've given him a complete rest. That means he hasn't been training. He starts again next Monday.

''Some players have a natural break through injury or suspension and, at Arsenal, we're normally very good at ensuring our winter break with suspensions!

''But Thierry's not been suspended and has played almost every game so he needs a break.

''The problem is that we have Kanu away, while Sylvain Wiltord and Jeremie Aliadiere are out, but if I don't make the decision to leave him out now, I will never rest him.''

Read more about Middlesbrough here.