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Wenger confirms Coquelin out for four weeks

London - Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Francis Coquelin will be sidelined for a month with a hamstring injury, while also providing updates on a number of injured personnel.

The 25-year-old Frenchman had to be withdrawn after just 28 minutes of the Gunners' 3-3 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming on in his place.

Speaking ahead of the Gunners' FA Cup clash with Preston North End on Saturday, Wenger said: "He is out for three or four weeks now, it is his hamstring. 

"I say three or four weeks because it is a hamstring and he came off, but maybe we will have good news. He will have a scan today, but I always count three weeks."

Mesut Ozil has, meanwhile, sat out the Gunners' last two matches, with Wenger adding: "He is coming in today, and will be assessed by the doctor but he has been in bed for two weeks so I cannot imagine I will involve him on Saturday. 

"It is flu, a throat infection - I don’t know exactly."

Wenger also revealed that Lucas Perez sustained an ankle problem against Bournemouth, while also giving updates on a few other key players.

"Well, we might have a problem with Lucas because he injured his ankle and I have to see how he responds to that but that is the only problem we have from the game. 

"Coming back, the closest is [Theo] Walcott but he is still not ready, [Kieran] Gibbs will not be ready so I don’t think will be coming back into the squad."

On Santi Cazorla, he explained: "At the moment, he is far [from returning]. It’s not going as quickly as I imagined it, so certainly in January he will not come back."

Kick off is scheduled for 19:30.

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