ARSENE WENGER caught defying a touchline ban, UEFA chiefs PHONED him in the second half to stop him.

ARSENE WENGER could be in more hot water after UEFA chiefs PHONED him in the second half to stop him defying a touchline ban. 

The Arsenal boss watched from the directors' box last night as he served a one-match suspension. And as he saw his side labour to beat Udinese, leaving them facing a Champions League KO, Wenger was captured by photographers clearly giving instructions to his coach Bora Primorac who then ran down to the bench to pass them on. 

Wenger insisted he had been cleared to do this but UEFA rules state any manager who is suspended "may not communicate with his team". And incredibly UEFA phoned Wenger midway through the second half to stop him carrying on.

Wenger was serving a one-match touchline ban as punishment for comments made after his team's Champions League defeat by Barcelona last season. The Arsenal boss refused to make any comment last night following his team's unconvincing 1-0 win over Udinese. But Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin insisted: "I have no problems with Wenger. "I believe it is important to have the possibility to communicate with the bench. It is better for the coach."

Theo Walcott's early goal leaves Arsenal sweating on Champions League qualification in next week's second leg. But Walcott declared: "The important thing was the clean sheet.  The defence was solid again, just like the weekend and it was nice to get the goal. "They are a strong team and it will be difficult over there but I am confident we can get the result.

"A friend of me told me to do a golf swing if I scored but I looked a bit like Happy Gilmore.

"I am still coming back from my ankle injury and the goalkeeper made some great saves."

Defenders Kieran Gibbs and Johan Djourou both suffered hamstring injuries which are likely to keep them out of Saturday's home game against Liverpool.

Gervinho and Alex Song are both suspended for Saturday's game while Jack Wilshere is unlikely to have recovered from an ankle injury. Wenger was banned due to controversial comments he made after the defeat to Barca last term. Walcott, too, was embroiled in controversy this week as the serialisation of his autobiography Growing Up Fast in The Sun upset Fabio Capello.

But the flying winger shrugged off the uproar and let his feet do the talking with a sweet fourth-minute strike in front of the England boss. He added: "I want to get more goals this season and a friend of mine told me to do a golf swing if I scored - but I looked a bit like Happy Gilmore!"

In the absence of the injured Jack Wilshere, the creative burden fell on Aaron Ramsey, who duly obliged by setting up Walcott's winner. And the Gunners' Welsh midfielder said: "They were good opposition and it was a difficult test for us. "But we got the goal and hopefully we can finish the job over there.

"We dug in and gave it everything. The tie is far from over but we are confident of getting the win. "We have to carry on from where we left off. "Cesc has gone now, he was a great player for the club but we have to concentrate on what we have got here and think that we can win something this season."