Arsenal forward Gervinho has been ruled out for up to four weeks, after injuring his ankle in the 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers last Saturday.
The Ivorian was brought on as a second half substitute as Arsenal looked to find the winner against a stubborn QPR side, but lasted less than ten minutes, having to be stretchered off, with Andrey Arshavin taking his place.
That proved to be a blessing in disguise, with Arshavin providing the cross from which Mikel Arteta scored the winner. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was hoping the injury to Gervinho, who has been used in a central striking position this season, would not be too serious; however a scan on Monday revealed the extent of the damage, ruling him out of the game for around a month.
The injury means Gervinho will, most likely, miss the English Premier League game against Manchester United -- to be played on Saturday - and the North London Derby against Tottenham.
The Ivory Coast international will also sit out the Champions League matches against Schalke and Montpellier.
Gervinho, prior to the injury, was one of Arsenal's leading scorers, thriving in the center forward position when given an opportunity. Although he struggled to find any rhythm in the Champions League loss to Schalke, which eventually led to him dropping to the bench against QPR, the 25-year-old has provided a good option up front for the manager.
However, Wenger will have other options with Olivier Giroud having an excellent game in the astonishing 7-5 win over Reading in the League Cup , while Marouane Chamakh also scored two goals.
Wenger might also consider using Theo Walcott in the central striking position, after the 23-year-old scored a hat-trick in the remarkable win - Walcott has been pining for a chance in the center forward position for quite some time now.
