Arsenal are sweating on new boy Eduardo da Silva being available for the big kick-off on August 11.The £10million Croatian international striker — who was signed from Dynamo Zagreb in July — has had his request for a work permit rejected by the Home Office.
His fate will be decided at an appeal next Thursday and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: “If there is any justice then Eduardo will achieve a work permit on appeal this week.
"He has played 50 per cent of internationals for Croatia over the past two years and every single game for them in the last 12 months.
“He’s also one of the top scorers in the European Championship qualifiers.
"We are very optimistic he will soon be allowed to play for us. But if the appeal turns us down again, we’ll have to see.”
Brazilian-born Da Silva has 14 caps for his adopted nation but has not been a regular for the last two years and was not in their last World Cup squad.
A Home Office spokesman insisted: “Certain criteria have to be met and he has not met them.”
