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Aaron Ramsey was today ruled out of Arsenal ’s crunch games in the title race, FA Cup and Champions League.

Ramsey limped out of Arsenal’s defeat with Watford because of a calf injury and Arsene Wenger says the Wales midfielder is out for three weeks.

Gunners boss Wenger is now facing a midfield crisis with Santi Cazorla already out and Granit Xhaka suspended. Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud is also a fitness worry for the trip to Chelsea.

But despite all of the mounting problems, Wenger insists that he has no regrets in letting Jack Wilshere go out on loan or at least inserting a recall clause in his deal with Bournemouth.

(Image: Shaun Botterill) (Image: REUTERS)

Wenger said: “I would say 21 days (on Ramsey). Yes, we are a bit short at the moment but I think we have young players who can do well in there.

“We have Adelaide, we have of course Maitland-Niles, we have Chamberlain. Iwobi can play in there. Elneny will come back after Sunday, so I still have some strengths.

“I think we have agreed for him (Wilshere) to go for one year on loan and we will accept that. I would like to reiterate that we didn’t push him out. He wanted to go somewhere and play and I agreed with that.

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“He wanted to go because he saw the level of the competitive players we had in midfield and let’s not forget we have as well Xhaka suspended, so there’s a huge level of competition and I accept to let him go and we have to deal with the consequences of that.”

Wenger insisted he did not give his players two days off after the Watford defeat and claims they will be better prepared to face Chelsea.

“I think naturally we will be more on alert than we were against Watford,” said Wenger. “I believe that in this game we have more to rebuild the united strength to go into this game than being on the edge of our concentration. I think we will naturally be [on alert].”

(Image: Getty) (Image: REUTERS)

Wenger admitted that he tried TWICE to sign Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante when he was at Leicester and also Caen. Wenger cryptically suggested that it came down to money.

Wenger added: “Yes. When he in France, when he was at Leicester. There again, I cannot explain everything but it is quite obvious when you look where he has gone.

“I do not want to talk about that, transfers are transfers - you cannot explain absolutely everything.”