Injuries take early toll on Arsenal

Arsenal FC will be without three players for the first two months of the season while at least three more will be missing for next week's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round first-leg encounter against NK Dinamo Zagreb or FK Ekranas.

Six-week absences
Manager Arsène Wenger said today that Gaël Clichy, Abou Diaby and Philippe Senderos are still recovering from long-term injuries and will not be fit for at least the opening six weeks of the campaign. "Diaby is ahead of what we expected for him," Wenger revealed. "But it is November at the earliest for him. The news is quite good for Clichy and Senderos but the first of these will be back in October."

Defensive dilemma
Left-back Clichy and midfielder Diaby are getting over ankle problems while centre-half Senderos dislocated his shoulder playing for Switzerland at the FIFA World Cup. The absence of the defensive duo will be particularly keenly felt by last season's UEFA Champions League finalists given that Sol Campbell has left the club and Ashley Cole is reported to be close to following him.

Henry out
Adding to Wenger's troubles, captain Thierry Henry will sit out next week's UEFA Champions League qualifier as he is short of match practice, having only recently returned from his summer break. Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is also suspended for the trip to either Croatia or Lithuania following his dismissal in the UEFA Champions League final, while Fredrik Ljungberg will be sidelined by an ankle knock.

Ljungberg injury
Indeed, Ljungberg is not expected back in time for Arsenal's opening Premiership fixture against Aston Villa FC on 19 August. "Ljungberg has an inflammation around his ankle," said Wenger. "He's had an injection but I do not think he will be completely ready for the start of the Premiership season."