text: Wojciech Szczesny will start in the FA Cup semi-final but the future looks bleak for the Poland goalkeeper who has been deposed as Arsenal’s No 1. Arsene Wenger confirmed Szczesny will play ahead of David Ospina against Reading at Wembley on Saturday but offered no further guarantees. ‘At the moment, I hope yes,’ said Wenger, after a long, uncharacteristic hesitation, when asked if Szczesny had a long-term future at the club. ‘It is very difficult to answer that question, you know. What is important is Saturday. Wojciech Szczesny will start in goal for Arsenal for the their FA Cup clash with Reading at Wembley . ‘His attitude is very good. He has trained very well, very focused. Your job is to fight for your place, no matter how difficult it is. When you choose this kind of job you know it is down to competition.’ Szczesny is understood to be content with his situation and confident of winning back his place. His Arsenal contract runs until 2018, but he has made just three appearances — all in the FA Cup — since an error-strewn display at Southampton on New Year’s Day. Arsenal have greatly improved since the defeat at St Mary’s when Szczesny mix-ups led to two goals. He then infuriated Wenger after the game by puffing on a cigarette in the showers. The Polish international has lost his place to David Ospina after a number of errors this season . Former Arsenal midfielder John Jensen went on Danish television before the smoking revelations and claimed Szczesny had been fined and would not play for Wenger again. The spin machine at the Emirates set about rubbishing this theory and Jensen’s sources, but so far Jensen has been vindicated. Ospina came in for the next game against Hull in the FA Cup third round and stayed in goal when Arsenal played Stoke in the Premier League a week later. The Colombian then kept his place. ‘They know the rules,’ said Wenger. ‘They are set at the start of the season. I replaced Wojciech because he had a bad game. I still think he’s a great goalkeeper and want him to have the opportunity to show that. The Colombian has taken his chance with both hands, winning 11 out the 12 games he's started in goal . ‘It is important two goalkeepers get competition and he will get that in the FA Cup now as long as Ospina plays in the Premier League. Barcelona play their No 2 goalkeeper in the Champions League. Why? Because you need to give them competition.’ Ospina has won 11 of 12 Premier League games since the Szczesny chop, but he could not prevent a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of the Champions League tie against Monaco.His unfussy style has solidified a notoriously brittle team. With frailties due to their commitment to attractive football, Arsenal crave reliability from their goalkeeper. Szczesny, for all his bravado and talent, was anything but reliable, with a short attention span and a tendency to become bored and seek involvement even when (especially when) his team were in control. Arsene Wenger admits that Szczesny lost his place to his errors but insists he's working hard in training . Ospina is a soothing influence and Wenger’s belated decision to grasp the nettle has strengthened the team, together with the unexpected advances of Francis Coquelin and Hector Bellerin. Coquelin has added ball-winning bite to midfield and Bellerin, with his exceptional pace, is not in such a hurry as others to abandon his post at right back and rampage forward. Add to this a philosophical tweak — a will to defend harder and adjust to different opponents, such as the attempt to combat Burnley’s high-intensity pressing game by encouraging Ospina to kick almost every ball, and Arsenal are sturdier. Monaco was an aberration caused by complacency or, more likely, an indicator that there is more to do. Wenger will be aware of this and was reluctant to smother Ospina with the credit for a run of 16 wins in 18 games since Southampton. ‘It’s a mixture of things,’ said Wenger. ‘We had many players back. Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud came back but they came back into form as well in January. And Coquelin is doing well.’ Francis Coquelin (centre) has been one of the success stories of the season and is a key player for Arsenal . It was not overwhelming backing for his No 1 and supports the idea that Wenger will prioritise signing another keeper in the summer when Chelsea’s Petr Cech will be on the market. Like Ospina, Cech is a calming presence and a mature personality. Cech also has experience of winning major trophies. In short, he is precisely the sort of individual Arsenal have lacked in recent years. To invest in Cech would be to lose Ospina. The Colombian was happy to sign as No 2 and challenge Szczesny but that is a different psychological proposition to losing your No 1 status to a big-money signing, despite having performed so well. It is a delicate issue for Wenger, a manager often accused of being too loyal. For Szczesny, there appears no way back. Like Lukasz Fabianski last year, it promises to be the FA Cup and out and proof that Jensen was right all along. A move for Petr Cech has been spoken about but it remains to be seen of Wenger will bring in another keeper .
target: Wojciech Szczesny to play in goal during Arsenal's FA Cup semi-final .
  The Poland international lost the No 1 spot to new signing David Ospina .
  Szczesny could leave the club if another keeper is bought by Wenger .
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