Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 8y

Arsenal's Danny Welbeck healing faster than expected - Arsene Wenger

LONDON -- Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck could be back on the pitch by Christmas after doctors found he is healing faster than expected, Arsene Wenger has said.

Welbeck underwent knee surgery in May and was initially ruled out for nine months, having only recently returned from a similar layoff. But Wenger said a recent initial worry that the England international may have to be sidelined even longer turned out to be good news in the end.

Doctors last week inserted a camera in his knee to see how Welbeck was healing after an inflammation flared up, and Wenger said "If the healing was not good, he would have been out until April. But the news was excellent and he will be back around Christmas."

It comes as a welcome boost for the Gunners, who are already struggling with injuries just a game into the new season. Central defenders Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista both suffered long-term problems in preseason, while Aaron Ramsey and Alex Iwobi are out until after the international break after being injured against Liverpool on Sunday.

"[Welbeck] was the good news of last week, the only good news. That was very positive," Wenger said.

While Wenger has been looking for a striker in the transfer window to make up for Welbeck's absence, the search for a centre-back has become more urgent given the recent injuries. Wenger had to start newly signed 20-year-old Rob Holding against Liverpool despite the fact that the former Bolton defender -- who only cost about £2 million -- had never before played a Premier League game.

Holding paired with 21-year-old Calum Chambers, who was signed from Southampton two years ago but has not been able to challenge for a regular spot in the team so far. However, Wenger said buying promising young defenders has become part of his recruitment strategy since the finished article is so hard to find on the market.

"We have been in the market a long time but if you look around in Europe, all my friends I call are all looking for centre-backs but they cannot find them," Wenger said. "That is why we also buy young centre-backs to develop, because when you have one or two of the quality to make it to the top it is fantastic because it is a position that is difficult to find, especially at the big clubs."

Despite that, Wenger insisted that he's confident Arsenal will sign a defender before the transfer window closes. The Gunners have been in talks with Valencia about a deal for Germany international Shkodran Mustafi, but have also been linked this week to Southampton veteran Jose Fonte.

While Fonte's age -- 32 -- would normally make him an unlikely target for Wenger, the Frenchman admitted that he would take an older centre-back if needed.

"We have no limit in age. If it is a guy of 32 and we think he has the quality then we will do it," Wenger said.

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