Get all the very latest news in Ireland straight to your email every single day Sign up! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Arsene Wenger fears his injury crisis has deepened even further, after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain became the latest victim.

Oxlade-Chamberlain limped out of Saturday's win over Newcastle with a recurrence of a groin problem that troubled him after the Galatasaray game in midweek.

The Arsenal and England midfielder was left devastated and will have an injection to try to ease the problem in the hope it settles down.

The Gunners have their fingers crossed that the 21-year-old will be fit to face to face Liverpool next Sunday but face an anxious wait until the full extent of the injury is discovered on Monday.

Wenger is anxious that he could lose another midfielder for the Christmas period - Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere are already crocked - and fears Oxlade-Chamberlain made the problem worse after playing on after the damage occurred.

(Image: Offside Sports Photography)

Centre-half Laurent Koscielny has, according to Wenger, "no chance" of being involved at Anfield, either.

One positive bit of news amid Arsenal's crippling injury list is that forward Theo Walcott is aiming to be fit for next weekend.

Wenger said on Oxlade-Chamberlain: "He got a knock. He's got a pain in his groin. I took him off quickly. I wanted to take him off, and then he takes the ball and crosses the whole pitch and [after that piece of action] he cannot run anymore.

"We cannot afford to lose him at the moment. I hope it's nothing bad. He had a little bit of inflammation before the game. I took him to Galatasaray and maybe two games [in five days] was a lot for him."

(Image: Sportimage)

Wenger has at least delivered an early Christmas present for Arsenal's players.

He has given them an extended three-day break to try to recharge their batteries in the hope some rest may also easy their injury list.

Wenger said after the Newcastle match: "We will not have Christmas so I've given the players some days off for their Christmas. We come back on Wednesday to prepare for Sunday.

"It's important to have a break. When you count the number of games with the Champions League, the players will not be at home over Christmas so to have two or three days at home over Christmas is important. Most of them will stay in England, because their families are here."

Meanwhile, Wenger is dreaming of being pitted against his former club Monaco when the draw for the Champions League's last 16 takes place on Monday .

Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle in pictures:

They have been unlucky with Bayern Munich in the past two seasons [the Gunners were knocked out of the competition by the German giants at this stage on both occasions] and Wenger is keen to avoid a repeat.

"We don't want Bayern Munich - and I'm sure they don't want us," said the Frenchman, who was boss at the Stade Louis II from 1987-94.

"We've never had an easy ride. I don't think many teams want Madrid.

"I'm not against drawing Monaco at all, because it would be a visit to my first home there.

"Of course I would love to go there. I've got great memories of Monaco because they gave me a chance when I was a very young manager. We did many Champions League games there as well.

"When I arrived there, they had never passed the first round in the European Cup so we have good memories. It is a fantastic place. That would be good."