Arsenal have lost two of their most attacking players for the forseeable future thanks to the international break.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said of the Theo Walcott injury: “The tackle looked quite bad. When you saw how it turned his ankle I thought it would be three or four days or four to six weeks.

“Unfortunately it will be four to six weeks. We had some good news about the scan because we were scared it could be worse. Overall it is a question of patience and rehabilitation.”

Wenger is also upset about the loss of Robin van Persie. He said: “At the start we were optimistic, thinking it would be one or two weeks. But the damage was bigger than expected and he will be out for four to six weeks.”