Song and Walcott injured in Everton game

 

The names of Alex Song and Theo Walcott have been added to Arsenal's injury list after both picked up knocks during the 2-1 win over Everton on Tuesday night.

Song was replaced by Abou Diaby at half time and although Walcott completed the game he was nursing an ankle problem after the final whistle.

"Song cannot walk," said Arsène Wenger during his post-match press conference. "I don’t know what he has got.

"He was kicked, I think it was by Koscielny, he knocks out everybody in our team! So we have to see how he responds to that in the next days, but he cannot walk at the moment."

The Arsenal boss also gave an update on Samir Nasri's fitness after the French star limped out of Sunday's FA Cup win over Huddersfield.

"For Nasri, the scan shows a hamstring strain. [He will be out for] 21 days," reported Wenger.

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Nasri suffers hamstring injury in FA Cup win

Samir Nasri is expected to be out for three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury on Sunday.

The French international pulled up while chasing a through-ball during the first half of Arsenal's 2-1 win over Huddersfield Town and was immediately replaced by Tomas Rosicky.

"Nasri looks to have a serious hamstring injury," confirmed Arsène Wenger after the game. "Usually it is three weeks [out], we have to see if it is a Grade One [strain] because that can be two [weeks].

"It is a big blow, how big I do not know because the results in the future will tell, but it is a big blow. Put three weeks to today's game and you will know [if he misses the Barcelona game]. I think yes."

Wenger made seven changes to his team for the FA Cup Fourth Round tie at Emirates Stadium but Nasri was a surprise starter. The manager explained why during his post-match press conference.

"I have regrets now, yes, because the plan was first to play Rosicky but he was still too weak because he was sick," said Wenger.

"So I took the gamble on Nasri and it back-fired but he could have come on and because it was after 25 or 30 minutes it could have happened as well if he comes on. It is difficult to predict but of course we are at the stage of the season that we play so many games that to lose bodies is very difficult for us."

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Gibbs set to return to full training

Kieran Gibbs is about to return to full training and will be pushing for a first-team comeback soon.

The full back has been out since injuring his ankle against Partizan Belgrade on December 8.
But Arsène Wenger told TV Online on Monday that the 21-year-old should join in full training on Tuesday and just may make the squad for the FA Cup Third Round tie with Leeds at the weekend.

Before that, on Wednesday, Arsenal face Manchester City in a crucial Premier League game.
Thankfully, the Frenchman has no new injury worries.

“Apart from a few bruises we are alright from Birmingham,” said Wenger.

“But Kieran Gibbs is very close. He could be in full training again tomorrow and there is a little chance he is available for Saturday.”

That will leave just Manuel Almunia (ankle), Abou Diaby (calf) and Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) on the injury list. The Belgian is penciled in for the end of the month while the other two “are still two or three weeks away”.

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INJURY NEWS - Fabianski and Diaby back for Chelsea game

Wenger on injury news ahead of the Chelsea game

Lukasz Fabianski and Abou Diaby will return to the Arsenal squad for the top-of-the-table clash with Chelsea on Monday.

Speaking to TV Online on Wednesday, Arsène Wenger revealed that the pair would have been involved against Stoke last Saturday if that game had not been postponed due to snow.

The extra time has allowed Fabianski to completely recover from the hip injury that kept him out at Manchester United the previous Monday. Diaby has been training for sometime following his ankle problem but he has not figured in the first-team since October 16.

The postponement has also allowed Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas to move closer to full match-fitness. However Wenger admitted he will be without Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles), Kieran Gibbs (ankle) and Manuel Almunia (ankle) until the New Year. He believes the Englishman should return at the start of next month, the Belgian towards the end.

“We have everybody back,” said Wenger. “We had them in the squad for Stoke - Diaby, Fabregas, Van Persie. Fabianski too.

“They have had one more week to prepare for this game and build up their fitness. That will have helped them of course.

“So overall we miss only Vermaelen, Almunia and Kieran Gibbs now. They will not be back in the short–term - over Christmas - but everybody else is available.”

When asked for a time-scale for the Belgian, the manager was understandably wary given the centre back has been absent since August 28.

“I would rather say late January,” said Wenger. “He is short on fitness and we have to build it up. That will take three to four weeks. He has started now and the signs are good. But I have been hit so many times with backlash that I am very cautious with Vermaelen.

“However Gibbs should be available at the beginning of January.”

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Fabregas, Diaby unlikely to make Man Utd

Cesc Fabregas and Abou Diaby are back in training but they are unlikely to be fit for the crucial trip to Manchester United on Monday.

The Spaniard has been out with a hamstring problem since the defeat at Braga a fortnight ago. Diaby originally picked up his ankle problem during the 4-1 win over Bolton back on September 11. He has started two games since then but completed neither.

On Tuesday lunchtime, Wenger was conducting his press conference ahead of the massive match with Partizan Belgrade when the issue of Fabregas cropped up.

“He was out to practise today,” said the manager. “In fact he is still out there now.

“He has a small chance to play on Monday. That means it is a bit under 50 per cent at the moment.

“Diaby is out practising as well with him. He has a very small chance.”

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Fabregas facing two weeks out

 

Arsenal will be without Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Eboue for two weeks and four weeks respectively.

Both midfielders suffered their injuries during the defeat at Braga on Tuesday. The Spaniard hurt his hamstring while the Ivorian was stretchered off with a knee ligament problem.

Both players are still being assessed. But when Arsène Wenger spoke to TV Online before training on Thursday, he gave us the best estimate possible.

 “Eboue has a medial knee ligament strain,” he said. “It can be four weeks, can be six weeks or can be eight weeks. But I think it will be four weeks minimum. 

“Fabregas will be assessed today with a scan. After that we can tell you how long he will be out, but I count two weeks.

It is a big blow because it will question how cautious we have to be in the future with him. Cesc has played 50 games a year since a young age.We may have to be more cautious with him, especially in the next two months.” 

On the upside, there were no other injuries from Tuesday while, on the same day, Aaron Ramsey and Manuel Almunia started their comebacks in the Reserves. However both may have to wait for first-team action.

“We have a lot of bumps and bruises but everyone else should be available,” said Wenger. “Almunia should be capable to play but I will see how he reacts.  

“Ramsey needs competitive games. He played 45 minutes and he did well. We need to get him slowly and progressively into competition mode.”

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Unlucky Vermaelen suffers injury set-back

Thomas Vermaelen has suffered an injury set-back.

At last Friday’s press conference, Arsène Wenger said the Belgian defender was “a question of days” from returning to the first-team squad after more than two months out. But in training on Monday, Vermaelen damaged his Achilles again and will be sent back to see specialists. At this stage, the manager is not prepared to put a timescale on his return.

In addition, midfielder Abou Diaby faces a test on his injured ankle later this week. If he passes, he will be back in contention for the first team, if he fails, the Frenchman will also require further examination.

That is the bad news on the injury front. The good news is that Samir Nasri has recovered from the calf problem that forced him off against Newcastle on Sunday. In addition, Robin van Persie has shown no ill-effects from his first appearance since the trip to Blackburn on August 28.

While both are in the squad for the game at Wolves on Wednesday, Laurent Koscielny is suspended after his dismissal at the weekend.

“From Sunday against Newcastle, we don’t lose anyone,” Wenger told TV Online on Tuesday. “Samir Nasri is OK and available.

“Robin van Persie had only one training session before Sunday. He gets sharper everyday. Yesterday he had some pain because it was the first time he had played. But today he was better already. In a few days he will be alright.”

Ironically that game at Ewood Park is also the last time Thomas Vermaelen was seen in Arsenal colours.

And Wenger admitted that, at the moment, his injury had him flummoxed.

“We don’t have good news about Thomas Vermaelen,” said the manager. “He had a little set-back yesterday in training and he has to see specialists again.

“I don’t know where we go with Thomas time-wise but at the moment he can not play. I can’t give you any time scale at all. On the scan his Achilles is completely clear but as soon as he stays out for a while it tightens up and he has pain. We don’t know the source of his pain.

“Diaby is the same. He has a test Wednesday or Thursday. If he gets through that it will be very quick, if he still has pain he will have to see a specialist.”

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Walcott returns but Koscielny out injured

Theo Walcott is back in the Arsenal squad for Saturday’s game against Birmingham - but Laurent Koscielny will miss out.

The centre back has been struggling with a back problem and his absence may open the door for Johan Djourou to return to the side with Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) also injured.

Arsène Wenger told Arsenal TV Online on Thursday that Walcott could return from the ankle problem he suffered on international duty five weeks ago and those plans were firmed up at the manager’s pre-match press conference.

“We have Theo Walcott who is coming back and we have Nicklas Bendtner back in the squad. The team is not picked yet, but they are back in the squad,” said Wenger.

“It is good because they have been out for quite a while. Since last November, Bendtner has been in and out, and he was never really himself. Walcott has been out now for five weeks so it is good to have them back.”

Then came the bad news.

“We have lost Laurent Koscielny who is injured with his back. Thomas Vermaelen is still out, he is ten days away,” reported Wenger.

The Frenchman also confirmed that Cesc Fabregas would miss the visit of Birmingham but the captain could return to face Shakhtar Donetsk at Emirates Stadium three days later.

“He has a chance for Tuesday,” said Wenger. “I thought he would play tomorrow. There is nothing specially wrong, he is just a bit short for tomorrow.”

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Defender Bacary Sagna out for three weeks with thigh injury

The French version of the Eurosport website has just reported that Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna will be ruled out of action for at least three weeks after suffering a thigh injury.
Even if the season started only two months ago, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner, Samir Nasri, Thomas Vermaelen, Cesc Fabregas and now Bacary Sagna have all suffered injuries which kept them on he sidelines for at least three weeks with Emmanuel Frimpong injuring his cruciate knee ligaments before the season kicked-off.
Ivory Coast’s Emmanuel Eboue will most likely be the one to replace Sagna with the Frenchman explaining how he already started the recovery process.
Sagna will miss games against Birmingham and Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates and also away games against Manchester City and Newcastle United as he will be hoping to make his comeback for the home game against West Ham United on October 30.
On his injury, Sagna said:

"Everything is fine, I started rehabilitation and it will take three weeks to heal".

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Gibbs' foot injury is only short-term

INJURY NEWS

The Club is happy to confirm that following last night’s Carling Cup Third Round match at Tottenham Hotspur, a scan to Kieran Gibbs’ foot has shown there is no fracture.
Kieran has suffered severe bruising to his left foot and will hopefully only be missing from first-team action for the short term.

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