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Mathieu Debuchy is facing three months out to plunge Arsenal into a defensive injury crisis.

Arsene Wenger fears Debuchy will be missing until Christmas after suffering significant ligament damage when he sprained his ankle during Saturday's draw with Manchester City.

England youngster Calum Chambers can deputise at right-back and was going to play in Tuesday's Champions League opener away to Borussia Dortmund anyway, because the Frenchman would have been suspended.

But it means the Gunners are now desperately short of cover in defence as Chambers was also the only back-up for centre-halves Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.

Wenger did not buy a centre-half in the summer window and now 5ft 9in left-back Nacho Monreal is their only other option to play in the middle.

Debuchy is likely to discover the full extent of the injury on Monday.

While the transfer window is now closed, Arsenal could sign a free agent and Wenger may now look to bring someone in.

Arsenal 2-2 Manchester City in pictures:

On a brighter note, the Arsenal boss he goes to Dortmund insisting that Jack Wilshere is back to his best and that Mesut Ozil is not under-performing - just misunderstood.

Wenger said: “You have to respond to critics in a public job. You accept that. You go on the pitch and show your talent and show how good you are. That’s what Wilshere has done.

“People will always have this kind of attitude about Ozil. He worked hard and he played quite well. You always see a good Ozil when you watch the game again.

“Then you realise his timing, his quality of the pass and sometimes you can be frustrated during the game but you must not over-react. When you watch the game in a cool manner again, you see what a good player he is.”