Arsenal keeper crisis: Schwarzer or Fabianski set to displace Almunia as No1

Manuel Almunia has been left devastated after being frozen out at Arsenal.

Spanish keeper Almunia has yet to start in either of Arsenal's pre-season friendlies as Arsene Wenger looks to sign Mark Schwarzer to be his new number one.

And if Wenger cannot land the Fulham keeper, error-prone Lukasz Fabianski is favourite to start the season in Arsenal's first game of the season at Liverpool on August 15.

It leaves Wenger with the same keeper headache that he finished last season as Almunia has fallen out of favour but the club still does not have a first choice.

Atletico Madrid have made an enquiry for 33-year-old Almunia who was axed at the end of last season after Arsenal lost at Tottenham, a defeat which ended their title hopes.

Wenger blamed a wrist injury on Almunia's absence at the end of the campaign and also said he was ill for Arsenal's first pre-season friendly at Barnet last Saturday.

But Almunia is fit and training fully on Arsenal's tour of Austria and yet was not even on the bench for the win over Sturm Graz on Wednesday night.

Wenger has promised to give Almunia a run-out in the next game with SC Neusiedl 1919 next Tuesday - but is still hoping to thrash out a deal for Schwarzer which was first revealed by Mirror Sport on May 15.

Arsenal have had a £2m bid knocked back, Schwarzer wants to join and Wenger has made the 37-year-old Aussie his number one target. They remain confident that a deal can be done.

Almunia, who first became Arsenal's no1 five years ago, now fears he is on his way out and it has taken a devastating toll, especially as Wenger has not spoken to him personally.

Polish keeper Fabianski has started both Arsenal's pre-season friendlies and the feeling around the camp is that he is likely to get the nod for the new season.

That would be a huge worry for Arsenal fans as Fabianski has made a catalogue of high-profile errors and it will take a lot for him to win back the confidence of the supporters.

Fabianski, 25, made errors at Wigan and Blackburn at the end of last season while he made even more high-profile howlers in the Champions League defeat at Porto in February while he was also blamed for last year's FA Cup semi final defeat to Chelsea.

But Wenger insists that he can still become a top class keeper and part of the reason he wants Schwarzer is to allow his younger keepers to develop.

Wenger has high hopes for 20-year-old Wojciech Szczesny who the club believe can be the next big thing.

They may loan the Pole - who has come on as a sub in both friendlies - out next season to a Championship club to give him experience for the future after a successful spell at Brentford last season.

Arsenal also have Italian youngster Vito Mannone and he was also given a run-out against Barnet but Almunia has not been given a look-in.

Wenger has struggled with keepers. He inherited former England keeper David Seaman and his best acquisition was Jens Lehmann who went unbeaten in his first season in the Invincibles title winning campaign.

But Wenger also signed Richard Wright, Rami Shaaban and Alex Manninger with varied success, leading to accusations that the Arsenal boss has a blind spot on keepers.

Wenger fell out with Lehmann before selling him in 2008 and it appears that Almunia has now gone by the wayside but Arsenal have still not solved their keeper problems.