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Vieira to play after topping foreign legion
By Steve Stammers, Evening Standard Last updated at 00:00am on 29.07.03Patrick Vieira has been voted the best foreign player ever to play in the English games.
The Arsenal captain headed a poll after votes were cast from managers and players such as Claudio Ranieri and Sir Bobby Robson.
The full findings will appear in a new book charting the history of foreign players called England, Their England by Nick Harris.
The Frenchman, meanwhile, looks certain to be fit for the start of the season and is being lined up to play in one or more of Arsenal's pre-season matches. After knee surgery at the end of last season, Vieira - who is set to sign a new contract before the start of Arsenal's Premiership campaign on 16 August against Everton - has had two weeks of recuperation work in France.
He is due back in London tonight and will be furthered examined by the club's medical staff tomorrow. Reports from France have been positive and it is expected that Vieira will be able to play in one of the three high-profile games Arsenal will play in the next 12 days.
On Saturday they play Celtic at Parkhead followed by a clash with Rangers at Ibrox four days later. They then play Manchester United in the Community Shield on August 10. Tight security measures will be in place tonight when Arsenal play Turkish team Besiktas at Bad Waltersdorf in Austria.
The stadium has a capacity below 5,000 but the local authorities are taking no chances. They have been in consultations over the last 48 hours with Islington Police.
Although only a few hundred Besiktas fans are expected to attend the match, Austrian police will be vigilant. Any high-profile meeting between England and Turkey at club or international level is taken seriously because of the obvious overtones. All fans will be searched and their behaviour carefully monitored. Sgt Dave Spooner of Islington Police, who has worked hard to improve security at Arsenal matches in what is now an annual trip to Austria, said today: "I am satisfied with all the precautions being taken. Although there are many Turkish fans in Austria, the match kicks off at 6pm local time and that will deter many people from travelling to the game.
"If there are Turkish fans at the match, they will be in their hundreds rather than thousands. They have the European Championships here in 2008 and the authorities are using every opportunity to ensure trouble-free matches."
