Hamstring blow to put Ramsey out for month
ARSENAL must wait to assess the full extent of Aaron Ramsey’s hamstring injury — but they fear he will be out for at least a month. Ramsey pulled a hamstring early in the second half against Bayern Munich and the swelling around the muscle was too great for the necessary scans and diagnosis to be completed yesterday. He will not play against Everton on Saturday or Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday and Arsene Wenger will take care with a player who has a history of such problems. Ramsey was out three times last season with pulled hamstrings — twice missing three weeks and once five weeks. Wenger launched a medical investigation, which led to a personalised training regime for the Wales midfielder. It seemed to have done the trick. He had not been troubled since March, until he went down clutching the back of his right leg on Tuesday. Wenger admitted the injury was a ‘tough one’. A standard hamstring pull will usually take three weeks to heal. Wenger’s options are limited in this area with Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Danny Welbeck all out until the new year. Theo Walcott can revert to a wide role but it will present an opportunity for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Wenger has used Ramsey on the right because he likes the thrust he provides from midfield and his desire to run beyond the centre forward. Oxlade-Chamberlain adds pace and invention, but Arsenal will miss Ramsey’s power and aggression. It is the only cloud darkening Wenger’s mood. The 2-0 win against Bayern revived hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League and his team are second in the Barclays Premier League table. ‘We are quietly doing our business,’ said Walcott. ‘The confidence is just flowing through the team at the moment, you can see that. ‘We are looking really strong. If you can beat Bayern, you can beat anyone. Considering the circumstances, I’d put that win against Bayern up there with the best results I’ve known. We knew we couldn’t lose but to win was a massive ask.’ Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil scored Arsenal’s goals late in the game. Walcott thought he had headed them into the lead in the first half, only to be denied by a wonder-save from Manuel Neuer. ‘I was too busy celebrating,’ said Walcott. ‘You can see why he’s No 1 in the world.’ Petr Cech’s commanding display was a reminder of the maturity he has added to a squad often accused of fragility under pressure. Walcott added: ‘The calibre of what he’s brought to this club and what he does off the pitch, just everything is perfect. He makes crucial saves at crucial times and that lifts spirits. His whole manner and the way he approaches the game helps others. ‘He’s a team man and he has a lot of belief in this team. That’s why he joined us, and we’re thankful for that.’