Arsenal center back Djourou out for season

Arsenal center back Johan Djourou will definitely miss the rest of the season, his manager Arsene Wenger confirmed Friday.

The Swiss international had knee surgery recently and will be out of action for six months at least, but possibly for as long as eight months.

"Johan is [out for] six to eight months," the Gunners manager told The Daily Telegraph. "He had big surgery, and it is a big blow for him and the club. He will have to be patient this season."

The situation leaves Wenger with only Mikael Silvestre and Philippe Senderos as back-up to his first-choice center-back pairing of Thomas Vermaelan and William Gallas, following Kolo Toure's summer departure to Manchester City.

In other Arsenal injury news, Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin is definitely out of the Gunners' visit to City this weekend, having exacerbated a groin injury whilst on international duty with Russia.

On the plus side, Tomas Rosicky and Cesc Fabregas are expected to be fit for the trip to Eastlands.