Robin van Persie out for six weeks
English Premier League giants Arsenal have suffered a blow with the news that striker Robin van Persie is set for a further six weeks on the sidelines.
The 27-year-old has been ruled out until the middle of October with an ankle injury he picked up in the 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers in the EPL. He was forced to miss Holland’s first two UEFA 2012 European Football Championship qualifying matches and will be out for the start of Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League campaign.
Arsenal issued a statement regarding the striker on their official website today. It said that: "Robin van Persie will have to wait a little longer before he is back in the first-team frame. The Dutchman injured his ankle against Blackburn Rovers on August 28 and will be sidelined for longer than first anticipated. Van Persie is likely to be out of action until mid-October."
Set to miss crucial matches
It means that the Holland international, who featured for his country in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final in South Africa, is likely to miss out on a crucial EPL match against defending champions Chelsea on 3 October as well as clashes with Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion. It appears likely that Van Persie will also be sidelined for Arsenal’s first two Champions League group stage matches against Braga and Partizan Belgrade.
The timescale given by the club means that he may return for the EPL match against Birmingham City at the Emirates Stadium on 16 october after the international break.
The news of Van Persie’s lengthy lay-off has been tempered by the fact that Samir Nasri is edging closer to a return to training several weeks ahead of schedule.
Arsenal’s statement added that: “(Nasri) sustained a meniscal injury against Liverpool on the opening day of the season and was expected to be sidelined for a month. But Nasri will return to full training in the next few days.”
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