All The News

Arsenal have announced that Robin van Persie's ankle is far more serious than first diagnosed and the striker will miss the next five months of the season.

In a statement that amounts to a crushing blow to their prospects this season, the club revealed:

"Robin Van Persie returned to Arsenal on November 22nd following an ankle injury sustained whilst on international duty with Holland. The injury was expected to keep him out of action for between four and six weeks.

"Upon his return, the Arsenal medical team conducted a thorough review of his scans, his early injury management and the treatment he had received. Having scrutinised these in detail and assessed the response of his ankle, the Club's medical team concluded that further investigation and opinion was required.

"Advice was sought from the leading ankle specialist Mr Niek van Dijk, who confirmed that more extensive damage had been suffered than was first diagnosed. In order to repair his ankle, Robin will undergo surgery next week in Amsterdam to reconstruct the ligaments. The Club's medical team anticipate that a full recovery will take between four and five months."

Van Persie himself seems, as one might expect, rather unimpressed.

He told Dutch daily AD Sportwereld: "If I had known at the time what I know now, I would have been operated on immediately.

"We have all been steered in the wrong direction."

Van Persie travelled to Serbia shortly after the injury to see Mariana Kovacevic, who has treated a number of players by rubbing fluid from a horse placenta onto the injured area.

However, while Van Persie recognises that this treatment was essentially futile, he does not regret travelling to Serbia.

"In the area of torn muscles and partly torn ligaments she has treated players in the majority of cases with success," he said.

"A number of Liverpool and Chelsea players have all benefited from her treatments. They were all back on the pitch in a very short time.

"As I was enjoying a fantastic period with Arsenal and the first official diagnosis from the doctors was that I would be out for six weeks, I wanted to bring that period back to three or four weeks.

"But the ligaments in my ankle were completely ruptured. That's why the treatment in Serbia, we know now, never had the chance to be successful from the start.

"People say I should have kept it quiet. But because I always want to be honest and I felt as if I had nothing to hide, I wanted to be open about it.

"I was in continuous contact with the medical staff at Arsenal, with whom I have an excellent relationship. In fact, I admire our medical people at the club for giving me the chance to work on a really fast return into the team. A lot of other people made comments without having any knowledge of the treatment methods in Serbia.

"But I was surprised by the hype and some of the bizarre comments. All those people forget I only had one goal with all this: I wanted to get back in the team at Arsenal as quick as possible."

Van Persie had scored seven goals in 11 league starts before his injury, illustrating his importance to the Arsenal side and how he has flourished playing as the central striker in Arsene Wenger's new 4-3-3 formation.

"It is so frustrating to be out for months," said the forward.

"I was having a super season with the team. I had never felt as strong and powerful as this year. Apart from, I think, two matches, I either scored or made goals in all the games we played this season.

"I was getting so strong, that I felt nobody could stop me anymore. That is the greatest feeling you can have as a player.

"It is such a pity that great run has been stopped for the time being by one kick in a friendly international match. It is a real shame for me, for the team and for the fans of Arsenal.''

"I want to wish them luck against Chelsea this weekend. I hope the boys keep believing in themselves. I am absolutely convinced they will keep improving and keep the good form of the last few months going."