Vermaelen's Arsenal return is put back again

Arsène Wenger has admitted that Thomas Vermaelen will be out injured for another month, ending hopes the defender would be back in two weeks.

Vermaelen has been missing since August with an Achilles injury that was initially thought to rule him out for a matter of days.

"I would rather say late January," Wenger said. "But I have been hit so many times with backlash that I am very cautious."