Emmanuel Adebayor has denied reports that Arsenal teammate William Gallas has become isolated.

Adebayor told L'Equipe: "He's our big brother and it hasn't been easy for him lately.

"We have been trying to support him and I believe that coping without him would be very tough."

The Togo international has commented on Gallas' controversial words for his young team-mates published in his autobiography.

He said: "What he said in his book is a bit harsh. But he assumes it. If someone makes a mistake, he (Gallas) will tell him so because he's a very honest guy.

"This criticism was heavy on his heart. He told us that somebody had to bang the drum."