Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos has been ruled out for a month with an ankle injury, leaving Unai Emery with a defensive shortage ahead of a busy February.
Sokratis was substituted during Friday’s FA Cup defeat by Manchester United after jarring his leg but Emery had initially appeared optimistic that the problem would not be long-term. However, an update on the club website said the Greek centre-back will return to training “by the end of February”.
There was better news for Emery as the club also revealed that Laurent Koscielny did not suffer a fractured jaw after a collision with Romelu Lukaku. The Frenchman suffered “bruising and soft tissue swelling” to his face, with the statement adding that his fitness is being “reviewed on a daily basis”.
Emery is already without Rob Holding and Hector Bellerín with long-term knee injuries, so will hope Koscielny is available again soon with a crowded fixture list coming up. Arsenal host Cardiff on Tuesday evening, before trips to Manchester City (3 Feb) and Huddersfield (9 Feb).
The club will also return to Europa League action with a two-legged tie against Bate Borisov, and host Southampton (24 Feb) and Bournemouth (27 Feb) before the North London derby on 2 March.