Bacary Sagna set to miss next three months after Arsenal confirm full-back sustained fractured fibula

Arsenal have confirmed that Bacary Sagna has sustained a fractured fibula after he fell awkwardly during the Gunners' 2-1 defeat to Tottenham, and suggest that the full-back will be out for around three months.


Sagna jumped for the ball with Spurs defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto although landed awkwardly and immediately signalled that he wanted to be taken off, before he was later taken to hospital, and a club statement has revealed that a fracture has been sustained.

"The Club can confirm that Bacary Sagna sustained a fracture to the fibula in his right leg during the match against Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon," the statement on the club's official website read.

"Further detailed investigations and assessments will take place on Monday, during which time Bacary will see ankle specialists and the Arsenal medical team regarding the further management of his injury.

"It is expected that Bacary will be out for approximately three months and a surgical procedure cannot be ruled out at this stage.

"Everyone at the Club wishes Bacary a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him playing again as soon as possible."

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had previously admitted he was "very worried" about the injury.

He told the club's official website: "We are very worried about his injury. He is in hospital at the moment and it is too early to say but the first signs do not look good at all.

"It is the fibula in the ankle that has to be checked, that is what I have been told. We will know tonight. I think he was pushed quite hard by Assou-Ekotto and I'm not sure what happened to him.

"He might have landed the wrong way, I don't know. I will have to see it again. Straight away he wanted to be substituted."

Yossi Benayoun sidelined for a week with injury

Arsenal midfielder Yossi Benayoun is set to be out of action for a week, following a side strain sustained in his side’s 3-1 League Cup victory over Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday.




The Israeli midfielder grabbed his first goal for the club following his loan move from Chelsea, as they progressed to the fourth round of the tournament despite initially going a goal down to the League Two side.


Benayoun has revealed, however, that he picked up a side strain during the game, and will now be sidelined for up to seven days, meaning he will miss the clash against Bolton and potentially the Champions League tie against Olympiakos at the Emirates.

Speaking via social networking site Twitter, the former Liverpool and West Ham United man said: "Very disappointed as I have a strain and will be out for a week or so."

Laurent Koscielny glad to have Alex Song back in midfield

Laurent Koscielny has lauded team-mate Alex Song for his midfield display against Borussia Dortmund.


The Gunners drew 1-1 with the German champions, and Koscielny has heaped praise on the Cameroonian midfielder for a dominant display in Dortmund.

Koscielny told the club’s official website: “I think we defended very well - all the team defends together.

“It's very important to have Alex near the centre-backs because he stops the opportunities coming to the other team. It's good for us.

“It was a hard game, Dortmund played very well.

“We defended well, but to concede a goal two minutes before the end was difficult for us.

“We didn't lose, which was good. We have a game at home, and it is important to win that.”

Koscielny also spoke of the new confidence surrounding the London club, and a belief that they can capitalise on this good run of form in their next game in the Premier League against Blackburn Rovers.

He added: “We are in a good place now and we want to go and win at Blackburn.”

Song had been suspended for the last three league games after stamping on Joey Barton in Arsenal’s opening fixture against Newcastle United.

Borussia Dortmund 1 - 1 Arsenal - UCL Match Report

An 86th-minute equaliser from Ivan Perisic denied Arsenal victory at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.

For the majority of this Champions League Group F opener, Arsène Wenger’s side looked like taking all three points back to North London.

They soaked up significant pressure from the Bundesliga champions in the opening stages but fought their way back into the game and grabbed an all-important goal three minutes before the break when Robin van Persie lashed home.

After that, Arsenal defended deeply and doggedly while Dortmund were pretty but without penetration. Wenger, watching in the stands due to his UEFA ban, may have smiled at the irony of it all.

In the end, Perisic’s strike was not one of the home side’s more fluent moves, it was a speculative effort excuted with excellent technique. But it was perhaps the only way this organised, efficient Arsenal defence were going to be beaten this evening.

And, if Wenger’s men are disappointed with a point in arguably their toughest Group game, then it augurs well for the European adventure ahead.

Before kick-off, Wenger’s main decision had seen him opt for experience and guile over youth and power. Yossi Benayoun made his debut in the hole behind Van Persie when the manager could have pushed up Mikel Arteta and brought in Emmanuel Frimpong alongside Alex Song.

Like Gervinho, the Cameroonian was back after serving out his domestic suspension. Like many,Theo Walcott had thought he was banned after picking up a couple of yellow cards in the two legs against Udinese. However all disciplinary points were wiped clean for the group stages and the Englishman began on the right.

The BVB Stadion was a sight to behold as the teams kicked off. Normally 80,000 fans help to create one of European football’s most intense atmospheres. The capacity was reduced tonight as, for the Champions League, seats had to be installed to replace some of the terracing. However this was still an imposing arena in which the decibel level rarely deteriorated - even when the visitors were in front.

The opening quarter of the game was like the crowd - raucous and lively. In the fifth minute, Van Persie’s half-blocked shot fell to Gervinho. The Ivorian hooked an effort goalwards but Roman Weidenfeller blocked.

Immediately, Dortmund replied. Shinji Kagawa was denied by Laurent Koscielny on the edge of the area but his tackle only nudged the ball to Robert Lewandowski. With Bacary Sagna sprawling to recover, the Pole spotted Kevin Grosskreutz on the left. The 23-year-old had time to select a corner but hoisted his effort high over the bar. Wasteful.

Kagwaga went through and did likewise in the ninth minute. It was a clear chance but not as clear as the one Lewandowski spurned shortly afterwards.

Mario Gotze robbed Kieran Gibbs and his clever flick sent the Polish striker skipping across the area, past Wojciech Szczesny, to leave himself a shot from a narrowing angle. Fortunately he could only pick out the backtracking Sagna, who booted his effort off the line.

As at Udinese in the Play-off, this was an open game - perhaps too open given its magnitude. But Jurgen Klopp’s young side had won the German title last season with a bright, brave passing game. Like Arsenal, it was they only football they knew.

The hosts continued to hold the upper hand even when the game calmed down and Arsenal obtained a greater grip.

The visitors carved out a chance in the 33rd minute when Benayoun’s first-time ball freed Van Persie on the left. He went for his shot early and Weidenfeller touched the ball behind at his near post.

But Dortmund were still the more imposing presence with right-back Lukasz Piszczek looking to get forward at every opportunity. In the 38th minute, one of his centres saw Lewandowski head into the hands of Szczesny.

However, ,Dortmund pressure, Arsenal pace, was the recipe for a goal on the counter. Although speed of thought - not feet - was behind the visitors’ strike three minutes before the interval.

Van Persie slid in to push Sebastian Kehl’s weak pass to Walcott in the centre circle. The Dutchman then got up and sprinted forward in hope of a throughball. Walcott was on the same wavelength and Van Persie raced through before unleashing a venomous shot past Weidenfeller.

Dortmund pushed forward once more at the start of the second half however, before the hour, the only noteworthy effort was Kagawa’s blocked drive.

Naturally, Arsenal had been settled by the goal and were happy to let the home side play their game in non-threatening areas. They knew there was always a chance to counter.

That nearly worked in the 59th minute when Van Persie’s raking ball forward was controlled by Gervinho on the edge of the area with only the keeper to beat. However he stumbled at the crucial moment and Weidenfeller blocked his toe-poke.

The chance was the exception, not the rule. Dortmund were pushing back Arsenal but the visitors were digging in defensively this evening. Koscielny and Mertesacker were clearing the aerial danger and the excellent Song was winning possession on the floor.

The latter’s tackle on Gotze midway through the second half, with the young German in full flow and bearing down on goal, was exquisite.

In one way Arsenal were doing to Dortmund what had been done to them with regularity in the past - defending cleverly and allowing the opposition to play their passing football in front of them but, crucially, allowing nothing to go through them.

The one time the visitors were stretched going forward Piszczek raced onto Gotze’s pass and flashed a ball across the face of goal.

However they were nearly breached nine minutes from the whistle when Gotze’s corner fell to Subotic five yards. His shot thumped in to the grateful arms of Szczesny, a foot either side and it was all-square.

It seemed like Dortmund were spent and Arsenal would hold on. But it is just not going that way for Wenger’s men at the moment. Four minutes from time, Marcel Schmelzer’s free-kick was headed clear by Gibbs and Perisic swung his left foot at it. The ball flew into the top corner past the stranded Szczesny. Incredible.

In the final minute of normal time, the keeper made a crucial save from Lewandowski to preserve a point.

But Arsenal were worth at least that this evening.

Nicklas Bendtner : I’ll never return to Arsenal

The Dane, who made a deadline-day loan move to Sunderland, once labelled himself one of the best strikers in Europe.

But he says he became a forgotten man under Arsene Wenger ever since he had a car crash two years ago.

Bendtner wrote off his Aston Martin and injured his legs and shoulder.

And he believes that was the beginning of the end of his Gunners career.

Bendtner, 23, said: "I will never go back to Arsenal. If I can have it my way, I will never play for them again.

"After my car accident I never really got the chance to earn a spot in the first team.

"That is over 1½ years with no real chance to prove myself.

"I am really looking forward to playing for Sunderland and then we will see next summer.

"I will find a new club — but I will not go back to Arsenal, that's for sure."