Robert Pires has joined a growing list of injured and suspended Arsenal players and will miss their Champions League match against Bayern Munich at Highbury next week, manager Arsene Wenger said on Monday.
The French winger, victim of a lunge that earned Southampton's David Prutton a red card in the teams' 1-1 draw on Saturday, will be out for up to three weeks with a sprained ankle.
"It doesn't look like anything is fractured," Wenger told the Arsenal website. "But it is a good ankle sprain. It does not look like he will be ready for two to three weeks."
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England defender Sol Campbell, also recovering from an ankle injury, is still unavailable and Brazil's Edu is doubtful with a pulled hamstring.
"Sol will be out for two more weeks," said Wenger. "It is open for Edu. The earliest is Bayern but even then there is a question mark."
The trio will miss Arsenal's FA Cup fifth-round replay at second division Sheffield United on Tuesday, a match for which striker Thierry Henry is also ruled with an Achilles injury. Forwards Dennis Bergkamp, Jose Antonio Reyes and Robin van Persie are suspended.
"Thierry is out with an Achilles problem...Therefore I have to think about who I play up front," Wenger said, naming youngsters Jeremie Aliadiere, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Arturo Lupoli as certain to play a part.
Bergkamp and Reyes were suspended for three matches for pushing Sheffield United's Danny Cullip during the teams' 1-1 draw at Highbury nine days ago.
Van Persie was sent off at Southampton on Saturday.