Jose Antonio Reyes was ruled out of Arsenal’s Christmas matches on Monday after twisting a knee in training.
Spanish striker Reyes missed Sunday’s gruelling 1-0 win at Portsmouth on Sunday, which put the champions back in second place within five points of leaders Chelsea.
Reyes will also miss the December 26 home game with Fulham and the trip to Newcastle two days later.
Manager Arsene Wenger is also without World Cup-winning midfielder Gilberto (back) until February at the earliest and centre-half Pascal Cygan (ankle).
But he hopes to have hope Freddie Ljungberg back on Sunday after a run of migraine attacks that has forced the Sweden midfielder to miss Arsenal’s last three games.
Wenger said: ”Freddie had scans and there was a worry over him but he has been given clearance now and hopefully he will be fit for the Christmas games.
”Reyes’s knee injury is not too bad but needs treatment and 10 days out. We are in a very important time now. Christmas is nearly as vital as Easter but there is a long way still to go in the championship.
”People tell me Chelsea look unstoppable but that is not necessarily my belief. Anybody can have a bad period as we had last month, because in the Premier League any team can beat any other.
”We are back in the race now thanks to the win at Portsmouth. It was very hard for us but we were up against a good side who have beaten Manchester United and, in their last two games, drawn with Newcastle and Liverpool away.
”I thought it was a great team performance from us. We had to show a lot of character and belief.”
Arsenal’s France midfielder Robert Pires, jeered relentlessly at Fratton Park having not been forgiven for the dubious penalty he earned against Portsmouth at Highbury in September last year, said: ”It was so important that we won because we could not afford to fall further behind Chelsea. Even a draw would not have been good enough.
”We didn’t play well, or pass well at all. But we managed to hang in there and Sol scored a really important goal. Perhaps it will turn out to be the most important win of the season.” — Sapa-AFP