Arsenal will be without right-back Bacary Sagna for at least the next two games, as the French international is out with a muscle injury.
Sagna suffered a knock in the Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge, and has been ruled out of the French national team for the two games against Romania and Luxembourg.
Sagna is now considered to most likely miss the next two Arsenal matches against Birmingham on Sunday and Shakhtar Donetsk on the 19th.
Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott could return in the few next days, but Robin van Persie, Thomas Vermaelen, and Nicklas Bendtner are definitely out.
World Cup winner Cesc Fabregas is due to start in the Birmingham game, as the play maker has recovered from the hamstring injury he received at Sunderland in the Stadium Of Light.
Walcott, who has not played since damaging his right ankle during England’s Euro 2012 qualifying victory over Switzerland on 10 September, is also ready to return for the injury-struck Gunners, and Arsene Wenger will be hoping his side can go back to winning ways after the draw at Sunderland and the loss at Chelsea.
Sagna who’s part of the all-too-long injury list at Arsnal, which also includs Kieren Gibbs and Aaron Ramsey, said to French television programme Stade 2: “I’m currently in rehabilitation. It will take three weeks. I’ll take my time to get back.”
Sagna is most likely to be replaces by Emmanuel Eboue, who has found a difficulty keeping his name in the first 11.
Arsenal lost 2-0 at Chelsea last Sunday, and Arsene Wenger will look to prepare his men for the game against Birmingham in front of their own fans at the Emirates Stadium, and decreasing the 7-point gap between them and city rivals and league leaders Chelsea.
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