Lukasz Fabianski has insisted he can handle the responsibility of replacing goalkeeper Manuel Almunia for one of the defining periods of the club's season.

The Polish international will be thrust into first-team action after his Spanish counterpart was ruled out for around two weeks with an ankle injury sustained in Tuesday night's Champions League quarter-final, first-leg draw with Villarreal.

That period includes next week's second game at Emirates Stadium, an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea and a daunting trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on 21 April.

Fabianski is relatively inexperienced, having only regularly featured in the Gunners' domestic cup campaigns since his move from Legia Warsaw in the summer of 2007.

But the 23-year-old, who could celebrate his birthday by starting against the Blues at Wembley a week on Saturday, believes a lack of top-level football in recent months will not put him under any extra pressure to perform in a run of matches starting with Saturday's trip to Premier League Wigan Athletic.

“I am maybe not ready to take over the No1 spot but I am ready to play,” said Fabianski.

“I respect what Manuel did for the club. He was playing great for the last couple of months. Now the situation is I have to play.

“It is always nice to play but not in these circumstances and I wish Manuel all the best with his health and I hope he comes back really soon.”

William Gallas also hobbled off in Arsenal's 1-1 draw in Spain and will learn today the extent of his knee injury when the club get the results on his scans but Fabianski has already backed Swiss star Johan Djourou to plug the gap at the heart of the defence.

“Gallas was in really good form and a really important player for us but we have good players who can help us,” he added.

“Johan played really well on Tuesday and we have a squad where everyone can replace someone else and we still have a good team.”