INTERNATIONAL NEWS:JOHN TOSHACK last night provided some encouraging news regarding Aaron Ramsey's condition when he revealed the Arsenal midfielder could be back playing in six months despite fracturing the fibula and tibia of his right leg in a challenge with Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

Ramsey was yesterday discharged from hospital in Staffordshire and spoke to Toshack as well as his Wales team-mate and close friend Chris Gunter en route to a hospital in London, where he will spend the next 48 hours.

Toshack, the Wales manager, reported that Ramsey was in “surprisingly good spirits” and backed the 19-year-old to make a full recovery from what he described as a “horrific injury which for those who saw it makes you want to vomit”.

The Football Association of Wales, which has been in contact with Arsenal’s medical staff, has learned that, provided there are no setbacks during his rehabilitation, Ramsey could be back playing as early as September.

Toshack, however, has stressed that he will be adopting a circumspect approach and working on the assumption that the player will be unavailable for the start of the 2012 European Championship qualifying campaign, which gets under way in September.

“It’s not something we’re putting a time on. We’re going to have to start thinking of beginning the European Championship without him and if he is available it will be a bonus.”

Toshack, who confirmed he had approached Shawcross about the possibility of playing for Wales before the central defender’s England call-up, admitted Ramsey would be a huge loss.

“Aaron has improved immensely over the last six or seven months and, from a selfish point of view, it’s a big blow to all of us at Wales,” he said.

“But the main thing at this particular moment in time is the player himself.

“He’s a tough guy.”

GuardianService