After being carried off Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round tie with rivals Tottenham Hotspur, initial tests revealed that the winger had suffered damage to his anterior cruciate ligament, with an initial prognosis of a six-month recovery period. Some, citing examples of other players who have made speedy recoveries from similar injuries, had raised the prospect of the 24-year-old being fit to head off to Brazil with England in five months’ time. Yet, while upbeat, Wenger says that is not an option.
“It went very well. The damage was real in the knee so he will have to take the needed time, so let’s not be hopeful that he will go to the World Cup -- that is not possible,” he said, according to Arsenal’s official website. “But overall his long-term future is very positive. It's about being fit for next season now.”
In the immediate future, Arsenal are facing something of an injury crisis ahead of the visit of Fulham to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. Tomas Rosicky and Nacho Monreal were forced off in the second half of the Gunners’ 2-1 victory over Aston Villa on Monday that took them back to the Premier League summit, and Wenger sounded less than optimistic about either returning this weekend.
