Premier League

By Martyn Herman

LONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to confirm William Gallas had been stripped of the captaincy on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia was earlier given the skipper's armband for the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City after Gallas was dropped following criticism of his team mates.

France Football magazine's website (www.francefootball.fr) said on Friday the France defender had been stripped of the captaincy.

"Why should we make statements?", Wenger told the BBC. "We can have a captain, we can change a captain, without having a political issue of it.

"It was not de-stabilising, we were focused and had a good spirit. We have nothing to say about players who did not play, we only speak about the players who played."

Asked whether Gallas still had a future at the club, Wenger said: "Of course".

COLLEAGUES INSULTED

Gallas was quoted in the media as saying Arsenal are "not brave enough in battle" and spoke of one unnamed player insulting team mates.

"When as captain some players come up to you and talk to you about a player ... complaining about him ... and then during the match you speak to this player and the player in question insults us, there comes a time where we can no longer comprehend how this can happen," said the defender.

Arsenal have now lost five times in the Premier League this season and are 10 points behind leaders Chelsea and Liverpool.

They were not helped at City on Saturday by the absence of Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor through injury and the suspended Cesc Fabregas.

Arsenal produced a listless display to lose for the second consecutive week but Wenger said there was enough strength in the squad to turn things around.

"We have had difficult times," said the Frenchman. "We have always been strong enough to deal with it and we will be strong again to deal with it."