Clichy compounds Arsenal woe

Arsenal FC manager Arsène Wenger's problems at left-back have continued to mount after it was confirmed that Gaël Clichy will be out for "three to four months" after suffering a stress fracture in his right foot – the same injury currently keeping Ashley Cole on the sidelines.

Defensive deficiency
The 20-year-old defender suffered the injury while in action for France against England in the first leg of their UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-off last weekend. It is a recurrence of the problem that ended Clichy's 2004/05 campaign in April and, with English international Cole already out of action until Christmas, Wenger has been left without an established and experienced left-back at the club.

'Hard to take'
"It is terrible for the boy," the English Premiership side's manager told the club's website. "We feel really bad for him. For us it is hard to take as well because we have no more left-backs. The quite remarkable thing - in a negative way - is that he has the same problem as Ashley Cole. Ashley is five weeks away in my opinion and Gaël is three to four months away. We'll just have to be patient and wish them well."