Wenger ‘shocked’ over latest Rosicky injury

Ian Watson

Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky may have played his final game for the club after suffering a thigh injury which is expected to keep him out for three months.

Rosicky has only a few months left on the one-year contract extension he was given in the summer, but, having missed the first half of the season with a knee injury, this latest blow leaves the 35-year-old Czech in a race against time to be fit again before the campaign ends.

Arsene Wenger revealed Rosicky had suffered a partial tear of a tendon when he was injured in the FA Cup win over Burnley, his only appearance of the season to date.

Asked if Rosicky had played his last game for Arsenal, Wenger said: “I hope not but the injury is quite a serious one. He will not need surgery.”

Rosicky came off the bench against the Sky Bet Championship side but picked up the injury within seconds of coming on alongside Mikel Arteta.

Wenger said he will remain supportive of the man who has been at the club for 10 years but admits he is unsure exactly how long the former Borussia Dortmund man will be sidelined for.

“It is a muscular injury but the good news that we have is that apparently he will not need surgery, it is the partial rupture of his tendon,” the Gunners boss said.

“How long does it take? Two months, three months, we don’t know.

“We are all of course shocked and he is the most shocked, we have to be patient and hope it was not his last game.”

Having confirmed Rosicky could well be out for the remainder of the season, Wenger refused to rule the player out of ever representing the club again.

“I don’t want to be dramatic,” he added.

“Because he suffers enough at the moment, I want to be in a more supportive attitude than be dramatic.”