Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been ruled out for a month after sustaining a hamstring injury during his side's win against Manchester United in the quarter-final of the FA Cup on 9 March.
The 21-year-old winger, who has been plagued by many injuries this season, was forced out of the pitch just after the start of the second half after injuring his hamstring.
It was not initially thought to be a serious injury, but Wenger has confirmed that the forward will be sidelined for almost a month.
"It is a classic hamstring and that means he will be out for three to four weeks maximum," Wenger told the Gunners official website. "It is very frustrating for him, but he has played more games than ever this season."
"In the last few months he has been a bit in and out, but he showed again on Monday what an important player he can be for Arsenal and England and it is a shame that in the final sprint he is not there."
The Frenchman feels that recurring injuries could affect Oxlade-Chamberlain's overall morale.
"How much will it affect him [mentally] I don't know. He loves to play and he is keen to play for England as well and it is a big blow for him, but he knows that this kind of injury he can recover quickly and he can come back, but it is not an ideal moment."
Wenger also threw some light on the progress of Jack Wilshere, insisting that he is "hopeful" that the midfielder will be back in a "matter of weeks," following his recent ankle surgery.
"We have to respect the progression of his training and we cannot say when he is back," the Arsenal manager added. "I'm hopeful it is a matter of weeks. He had a little inflammation and we had to rest him anyway so we decided to get the screws off."
"At the end of the season, he has England again so we wanted to combine both together. It's taken a bit longer and I don't know why at the moment."
Meanwhile, the good news for Arsenal is that defender Gabriel Paulista and midfielder Mathieu Flamini are back in full training and will be available during the Gunners' Premier League clash against West Ham on Saturday.
