Arsenal's Arteta to miss six weeks with thigh strain

Key midfielder Arteta is set to miss six weeks for Arsenal with a quadricep tear

Arsenal were given a major setback as a scan revealed that Mikel Arteta, who was originally thought to have a ‘slight thigh problem’, has suffered from a torn quadricep and is set to miss 6 weeks of action according to DailyMail.

The former Toffees midfielder was key in Arsenal’s unbeaten run at the end of the last season and captained Arsene Wenger’s side as Thomas Vermaelen lost his starting place in the team. In the Premier League, Arsenal had a win rate of 59% with the Spaniard in the side whilst they only won 1 of the 4 matches in which he did not feature.

The injury means Arteta will not only miss the Gunners’ opening Premier League fixtures but also the double-header against Fenerbahce, with the winners advancing to the Champions League group stages.

Arteta’s injury is just one of the many to have struck Arsene Wenger’s squad as Thomas Vermaelen, Nacho Monreal (both back), Diaby (knee) and Ryo (rib) all set to miss the start of the season.

Bacary Sagna remains a doubt for the Premier League opener against Aston Villa on Saturday as he sustained an ankle injury while away on international duty with France.

The injuries are going to put further pressure on Arsene Wenger to make big signings in the transfer window, having only got Yaya Sanogo as a free agent this summer so far.