Henry watches the north London derby from the stands

The Gunners skipper, 29, has struggled with a neck problem and having pulled out of the game against Tottenham he may now miss another derby.

"I have to rest," Henry told BBC Sport. "If that includes Chelsea... I hope it is going to stop there.

"It might go further but I have been saying since the start of the season I'm nowhere (near) fully fit and I came back into the team trying to help."

Interview: Arsenal striker Thierry Henry

Henry sat out the defeat at Bolton citing a sciatic nerve problem and after coming back in the loss at Fulham it has been decided that rest is the best medicine.

And the Frenchman, who is suspended for the midweek Champions League trip to Porto, dismissed reports that he had stormed out of Arsenal's training ground when he was told he would not be playing in the north London derby.

What I need to do now is get fit and injury-free and then I will be out there and helping the team the best way I can Thierry Henry

"No-one forced me not to play, it was just a discussion we had," he added.

"I was upset about it because I do not like to not play.

"But you have to be honest and listen to your body. No-one knows what we said to each other and still people are speculating."

606 DEBATE: Will Henry be missed if he sits out the Chelsea clash?

He added the sciatic nerve injury had been causing him discomfort for two or three months, although a hectic schedule last season has also been mooted as a reason behind Henry's quieter-than-usual start to the season.

He led Arsenal to the Champions League final and also helped France reach the World Cup final in the summer.

"What I need to do now is get fit and injury-free and then I will be out there and helping the team the best way I can," he added.

"I came back from the World Cup a bit tired. I played a lot of games and emotionally losing two finals like that is not easy."