Robert Pires has joined a growing list of injured and suspended Arsenal [Images] 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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Arsenal, 3-1 down after the first leg of their first knockout round tie in Munich last week, are being severely weakened by injuries.England [Images] defender Sol Campbell, also recovering from an ankle injury, is still unavailable and Brazil's [Images] 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 [Images] 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.
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