Arsenal Injury Blow: Wenger Rules Key Man Out Of Crucial Liverpool & Chelsea Games

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is set to miss crucial games against Liverpool and Chelsea after being ruled out for three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Ramsey was forced to miss Arsenal’s stalemate with West Ham on Wednesday night after suffering a hamstring problem during the closing stages of the draw at Southampton last weekend.

Arsene Wenger had initially suggested the injury was only minor but said they wouldn’t know the full scale of the problem until Ramsey had been further assessed by club doctors.

However, it looks like the injury is worse than first thought as Wenger has now revealed that the Welsh international’s expected recovery will take three weeks.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference this morning ahead of Arsenal’s game with Newcastle, Wenger told reporters:

At Colney. Wenger:"Mustafi is back in training. I don't know if he will play. It would be a little gamble. Aaron Ramsey will not be available. He is not in contention for three weeks."

— James Olley (@JamesOlley) December 15, 2017

It means Ramsey will now miss this weekend’s visit of Newcastle to the Emirates while he’ll also sit out the League Cup clash with West Ham on Tuesday night.

The midfielder will then miss the crucial showdown with Liverpool next Friday along with matches against Crystal Palace and West Brom during the festive period.

The visit of Chelsea to north London on January 3rd will also come too soon but Ramsey will be hoping to be back in contention for Arsenal’s trip to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on January 7th.

The news will come as a major blow to Arsenal as Ramsey has been in fine form of late and the fact he’ll miss the Liverpool and Chelsea games will be a particular disappointment as they desperately try to climb back in to the top four.

The Gunners currently sit seventh in the table but with just one point separating them from fourth-placed Liverpool and Chelsea just a further four points ahead the race for Champions League qualification couldn’t be tighter.

However, Ramsey’s absence will open the door for Jack Wilshere to stake his claim for a regular starting spot and the midfielder came through his first league start of the season unscathed in midweek.