• Premier League

Debuchy out for minimum of six weeks

Arsenal will be without Mathieu Debuchy for a minimum of six weeks and the right-back could still require surgery on a damaged ankle ligament, Arsene Wenger has confirmed.

Debuchy was carried off on a stretcher during last Saturday's 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City and is due to undergo a scan today.

Mathieu Debuchy was stretchered off against Manchester City with an ankle injury © Getty Images

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"He has an exploration of his ankle on Friday night and they go in and look how the ligament is damaged," Wenger told a news conference.

"After that we [will] know if he does need surgery. If he doesn't, it'll be six weeks. If he does need surgery it'll be three months. At the moment we don't know."

There is more positive news for Arsenal on Jack Wilshere, with Wenger confirming he has shaken off an ankle knock and is expected to start at Aston Villa on Saturday.

Wenger had expressed concerns about Wilshere's fitness after he suffered an ankle twist in Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat at Borussia Dortmund, with the 22-year-old's long history of ankle problems fuelling fears he could have suffered long-term damage.

"He's available," Wenger said. "I was wrong [after the Dortmund game] - it was his left ankle and it was only a click that made him turn his ankle a bit, so he's all right."

Calum Chambers and Mathieu Flamini are set to return to return for the trip to Villa after missing the Dortmund game.

Wenger went on to suggest he is still trying to find a balance in his team after his summer captures of Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck.

"It's difficult for me to explain all the tactical changes but not a lot has changed," he continued. "We failed in some big games last year and behind that is the thinking that we have to be more solid in some games. We conceded too many goals in the big games last year.

"We have to find a balance. I added a striker with Sanchez. We have another striker with Welbeck. We have a lot of offensive players, with [Mesut] Ozil, Wilshere and [Aaron] Ramsey - and even [Mikel] Arteta when he plays is initially an offensive player.

"To find the balance we have as well to defend and I think we have to find a balance between attacking and defending. That's why it's not an easy subject."

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