Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is set to be out until after the international break, according to Arsene Wenger.
The midfielder has been out with a hamstring injury since returning from Euro 2016, where he helped Wales to the semi-finals.
Ramsey has not featured since the opening day of the season for the Gunners and Arsene Wenger hoped to have him back soon.
But he has suffered a setback and is now set to miss a crucial run of games, starting with Chelsea at home on Saturday evening.
“Aaron Ramsey is still struggling with his hamstring,” said Wenger
But Wenger said on Friday that he’ll now be out until Arsenal’s home game against Swansea on Oct. 15, which follows the next international break for World Cup qualifying.
“Aaron Ramsey is still struggling with his hamstring,” Wenger said at his prematch news conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Chelsea. “I don’t think he will be available for our next game against Basel or at Burnley. So before the [next] break, he will not be available.
“He has a small Grade 1 hamstring [tear]. But he’s not completely free in his mind yet to push completely. We stop him every time when he has a little pain. He’s in the last, last days of his rehab. As long has he’s not completely comfortable we don’t push him.”
Asked if he was worried about the Ramsey, who has a history of hamstring problems, Wenger said:
“Not really because it’s nothing major. But I’m a bit more cautious than I would be [if he had not had previous problems]. If he was ready to play I would involve him in the squad of course, but he is not.”
Meanwhile Frenchman, Olivier Giroud, is set to be available against Chelsea after missing the last two games with a toe injury but has yet to prove his fitness.
“Giroud has a test today to see if he can be involved. He had a good training session yesterday,” Wenger said. “I thought he’d be short for tomorrow but we’ll see how he comes out of today’s training session.”
