Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Francis Coquelin will miss his side’s Champions League clash with FC Basel tonight with a knee injury.
The defensive midfielder, who has thus far made six appearances in all competitions for the Gunners in the current campaign, picked up the injury in the 3-0 win over Chelsea last weekend.
Coquelin was substituted in the 32nd minute of the London derby, and scans later revealed that the Frenchman will be out for three weeks.
And Wenger, whose side drew their first Champions League match 1-1 against Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the month, was relieved that Coquelin’s injury is not as serious as first feared.
“He is out for the game tomorrow [Wednesday], but it should be a short-term injury because the scan was quite positive and I think it will be three weeks out”, he said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
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“It’s positive because last year during this period we got some bad news and a few long-term injuries and it was a handicap in our season.
“After you play always the same players and you lose a little bit of your edge physically.
"The fact is we have a compact squad, but of top quality, so to keep everybody together is a big plus.”
Wenger went on to add that Olivier Giroud, who will miss the Basel game after being sent off against PSG, is also doubtful for Arsenal’s Premier League meeting with Burnley on Sunday.
“He is not available, he is suspended because he was sent off at PSG.
"He is a doubt for Sunday, we will see”, the manager said.
When asked if Giroud will go on international duty with France, Wenger replied: “I don’t know, it depends on the evolution of his injury.”
