May stick around

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON -- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may try to extend Thierry Henry's loan from the New York Red Bulls.

Henry's loan deal stipulates that he has only next weekend's Premier League game at Sunderland and a Feb. 15 Champions League match at AC Milan left before returning to Major League Soccer.

Wenger said the Gunners had not discussed any extension with the Red Bulls but acknowledged that it was possible.

"I haven't looked at it," Wenger said Saturday. "Maybe the maximum possibility we have is two more weeks."

That would make the 34-year-old striker available for an FA Cup match and what could be a crucial Feb. 26 meeting with local rival Tottenham.

Netherlands striker Robin van Persie is still Arsenal's only proven striker, taking his tally for the season to a league-leading 22 with a hat trick in Saturday's 7-1 win over Blackburn.

Henry scored in injury time to round off the rout, a match that is currently scheduled to be the former France great's last in front of the home fans at Emirates Stadium.

The goal extended Henry's club-record haul to 228 -- 226 in his first spell from 1999-2007 and two more since returning on loan from the MLS.

Wenger said Henry had lifted the club since returning.

"How much, you can never give a percentage, but he was very positive and everyone takes his advice on board because he has delivered here and they want to deliver too," Wenger said. "He is respected and he was very positive.

"He is not going away yet, normally he stays until after the Milan game. So we go to Sunderland now and then we go to Milan. That is two massive games."