Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has been ruled out for around three months after successfully undergoing surgery on his left ankle, the club have announced.
The England international was substituted during the second half of Saturday’s defeat to Manchester United after damaging ankle ligaments and was subsequently sent to a specialist to be assessed.
Wilshere has now gone under the knife and is likely to be out of action until February.
An Arsenal statement read: “Jack Wilshere has had successful surgery on his left ankle and will be out for approximately three months.
“An assessment with a specialist confirmed the need for an operation and the 22-year-old had successful surgery to his ankle in London on Thursday afternoon.”
Injury pile-up
Club captain Mikel Arteta is also being assessed after limping off during Wednesday night's Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund with a calf problem. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sidelined by a hip problem for that game, but should return for the weekend's trip to West Brom.
Danny Welbeck was also rested because of a minor knee injury as was Theo Walcott (groin).
France forward Olivier Giroud who scored on his return from a broken leg against Manchester United last weekend was ineligible after not being included in Arsenal’s original European squad.
He will also be pressing for a start this weekend, while defender Laurent Koscielny was on the bench against Dortmund after recovering from an Achilles problem.
Relieving pressure
Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who stood out on Wedneesday night with yet another all-action perfromance says that “wins always relieve pressure, when we win everyone’s happy.
“The players, the manager, the staff and the fans are happy,” he said. “There is a long way to go in this competition and the league. We need to try to back this win up with some good results in the future.”
While defender Per Mertesacker says that the team have to show more character.
"We have to come back in the Premier League and that is the next target."
