• Premier League

Vermaelen suffers injury setback

ESPN staff
December 6, 2010
Thomas Vermaelen has made just three Premier League appearances this season © Getty Images
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Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen will not return to first team football until after the new year.

The Belgium international was initially only ruled out for a week after sustaining an Achilles injury in a Euro 2012 qualifier in September. However, Vermaelen's return to action was pushed back to November after he failed to regain full fitness.

He was expected to return for the Gunners against Partizan Belgrade on Wednesday, but once again Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been forced to concede his first-choice defender is not ready for action, revealing his is still wearing a protective boot.

"Vermaelen is in a boot," Wenger told the club's official website. "We want him back and I hope he will be back soon, but not before January."

With defender Laurent Koscielny currently out of action after suffering severe concussion on Saturday, Wenger will have to rely on Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci.

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