Arsenal Team News: Wenger Confirms Fresh Injury Blow + Latest On Gabriel & Diaby

Arsenal will look to put their European disappointment behind them when they take on Everton at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.

Ahead of the game, Arsene Wenger has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this morning and gave Arsenal.com a team news and injury update.

The boss revealed some potentially worrying news regarding Jack Wilshere with the injury-plagued midfielder forced to undergo surgery to remove two buttons from his troublesome ankle.

Wilshere had only recently returned from a three month lay-off having undergone surgery on ankle ligament damage back in November but it seems these buttons were irritating him so they decided to bring forward the planned procedure to remove them early.

The midfielder isn’t expected to be out for long but Wenger thinks he’s unlikely to be back in time to face Man Utd in the FA Cup next weekend, so he’s going to sit out at least our next three games.

Wenger also gave an update on Abou Diaby and although the Frenchman is ‘progressing well in training’, he’s not close to making any sort of playing return after another hugely frustrating injury-plagued season.

Long-term absentees Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Debuchy are still weeks away from returning from their calf and shoulder injuries respectively while the boss also expended on the news I brought you earlier regarding Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Debuchy, with the duo set to return to training.

Arsene confirmed that he’s planning to make changes from the side that lost to Monaco on Wednesday but refused to confirm whether Gabriel would come in to the defence. Presumably if the Brazilian is recalled – which I think he should be – then it will be for Per Mertesacker who had a nightmare in midweek.

Here’s what the manager told the clubs website:

on Jack Wilshere…

Jack Wilshere had a little surgery to take his two buttons off his ankle because they were irritating him but it’s a very minor procedure. He’ll be out for a few days.

on it just removing discomfort…

Yes. It was irritating his ankle and they had to take it off.

on whether it’s another setback for Jack…

No, it was planned to be done at the end of the season. But because he had an irritation with it, we decided to do it now. It’s a few days.

on whether he’ll be available next weekend…

Next weekend will be a bit quick. I don’t know exactly. It’s days, not weeks.

on Abou Diaby…

The only thing I must say is that he progresses well in training. He goes step by step but he has not played yet and is not in a position to play yet.

on Arteta and Debuchy…

They are still a few weeks away.

on if Gabriel could play v Everton…

I have not made any decision yet for Sunday’s game. We will have to rotate a little bit, because we play Sunday and Wednesday. There will certainly be some changes.

on Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini…

They come back into normal training today and tomorrow. They are nearly there, not completely there. From Wednesday night I don’t think we have lost anybody. We have no major problems.

Let’s hope Wilshere’s latest set-back is just a ‘minor’ problem as we’ve all been here before when a minor issue suddenly turns into three months out. It would be devastating for both Arsenal and Jack if he was ruled out for any lengthy period of time again, so fingers crossed there are no further problems with his recovery.