Arsenal's injury list hits nine players

Arsenal's injury problems continue to escalate with boss Arsene Wenger currently without nine first-team players.

Wenger is resigned to being without striker Robin van Persie (ankle) and Johan Djourou (knee) for the rest of the season, but a number of minor problems are causing disruption to the Frenchman's plans.

The latest involve midfielders Samir Nasri (hamstring) and Aaron Ramsey (thigh), who were both injured in training prior to Sunday's 2-0 victory at Bolton and are expected to be sidelined for around three weeks.

"Nasri's injury is what I call a '21-day injury'. It is a clean hamstring [injury]," said Wenger.

"Ramsey's [absence] will be the same but it is not a hamstring injury, it is a thigh."

"We have a little chance to get Denilson (abdomen) and Theo Walcott (rib) back for Wednesday and to get Nicklas Bendtner (recovering from hernia surgery) back in 10 days maybe," said the Arsenal chief.

Wenger has revealed Van Persie's rehabilitation remains on schedule and that the 26-year-old Dutchman believes he will return to action for the final month of the season.

"He has come back (to the training ground) and is doing as well as you can at that stage," Wenger told arsenal.com.

"He is out of his boot and walks normally but he thinks he will be playing mid-April."

 
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