Montpellier v Arsenal: Theo Walcott's stalling over new deal at Emirates could leave him in cold The "at the moment" qualification was telling, as was Wenger's demeanour - he evidently did not want to discuss the matter fully - which followed on from his declaration last week that he was not willing to countenance players suggesting they might leave. Certainly with a strong start to the campaign and the success of new signings Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski, the manager feels in a far stronger bargaining position. However Wenger admitted he was concerned that the club's supporters could turn on Walcott - there were groans from some at the Emirates Stadium at the weekend when he was introduced. "It is a concern," he conceded. I think you want your players to be supported no matter what kind of contractual situation they are in. I hope it will not affect him and that it will not affect our fans. Wenger acknowledged that Walcott's temperament was a positive. "He's gone through, at 23 years of age, a lot," he said of the player he signed as a 16 year-old and who, within months, went to the 2006 World Cup finals. A lot of positives and negatives. We are lucky - I don't know what it is about Southampton but they bring players on, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and him, with their feet on the ground. Oxlade-Chamberlain's rapid development is also, evidently, a factor in Wenger's thinking in not giving in to Walcott's demands, although if the club reaches January without a new deal, meaning he could sign a precontract elsewhere, then it will be an uncomfortable second half of the season for the player. Arsenal have offered Walcott a new five-year deal worth £75,000 a week which he has declined for now. Giroud has endured a difficult start to his career at Arsenal and Wenger said he had to weigh up the effect playing against his former club, and the emotions involved, could have on the France international who is still searching for a first goal for his new club. It can be positive. It can be negative," he said of Giroud's return. With forwards it is more a matter of cycle. Forwards sometimes go through a rough period, but maybe he just needs a goal to get out of this drought. There will be a change in goal for Arsenal, with Wojciech Szczesny not travelling after Wenger revealed he had turned his ankle in the warm-up to Saturday's match - although he maintained the injury had not been a factor in the Pole's error for Southampton's consolation goal. With Lukasz Fabianski also injured, Vito Mannone will be in goal, with youngster James Shea on the bench, and with Wenger confirming that Abou Diaby will also return to the side. Wenger hailed Montpellier's achievement last season, in winning their first French league title, as a "miracle" given they were almost relegated to the third division just three years ago. He also suggested their poor form at present - losing three of their five league games - was partly due to the Champions League distracting them from their domestic campaign.