This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Arsenal's title hopes have been hit by the news that their midfielder Aaron Ramsey will be sidelined by up to six weeks with a thigh injury.

The Wales international, 23, has been one of the stand-out performers in the Premier League this season and played a key part in helping the Gunners into a position to challenge for their first league crown since 2004.

Ramsey suffered the injury in training and the Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger admitted he may now need to bring in a midfielder as cover in the last hours of the January window, with the club having been heavily linked with Schalke's Julian Draxler throughout the month.

Arsenal (@ArsenalGoals) Aaron Ramsey will miss the next 6 weeks through injury, according to Arsene Wenger. Tomas Rosicky is back in the squad for Sunday #AFCvCPFC

In quotes carried by the club's official Twitter feed, Wenger said: "Aaron Ramsey will be out for four to six weeks. I count six weeks.

"We are still trying to bring one body in because of Ramsey's setback and Flamini's suspension."

Wenger has given up on the Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler said he was "80%" confident of bringing in one new player with the 31-year-old Sweden international Kim Kallstrom of Spartak Moscow the new target.

Kallstrom arrived at Arsenal's training ground on Friday lunchtime after travelling from Abu Dhabi, where he had been training with the Russian club during their winter break.

He is expected to complete a loan deal until the end of the season.

He started his career at Djurgarden before joining the French club Rennes and then on to Lyon in 2006, where he won the Ligue 1 title twice.

Having played at the 2006 World Cup and also three European Championships, he left for Spartak in the summer of 2012 and made 10 appearances this season before the winter break.

Arsenal have offloaded their midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong to Barnsley in a permanent deal.

The 22-year old made a total of 16 first-team appearances for the Gunners, and had loan spells at Wolves, Charlton and Fulham, but his development was hampered by a series of injury setbacks.

Frimpong, who won a first full cap for Ghana in a World Cup qualifier against Sudan in March 2013, hopes to rebuild his career with the Tykes.

"Danny Wilson called me yesterday and wanted me to come play and help the team push out the relegation zone. Hopefully I can help the team achieve that this season," Frimpong said on Barnsley Player.

"I wouldn't say I'm fit yet, but the only way to do so is to play games. The more I play, the better I'll get."

Frimpong added: "It will be difficult, but it's very important you start off well and make sure your first game is a good game. I am quite confident I can do that.

"It's football and no matter where you go you have to respect your opposition. There are some very good players in the Championship."