Arsene Wenger has revealed that Thomas Vermaelen has suffered 'a little setback' in his rehabilitation.

Wenger admits he may be forced to bring in defensive cover

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that Thomas Vermaelen has suffered 'a little setback' in his rehabilitation. The Belgian centre-half first picked up an Achilles problem while on international duty at the start of September and has struggled to shake off the ailment ever since. He has made painfully slow progress in his recovery, with setbacks hindering his progress at regular intervals. The Gunners had hoped that he would be ready for a first-team return early in 2011, but now accept that will not be the case. Wenger admits that he is unsure when Vermaelen will be back in contention, with the Frenchman unable to predict when the 25-year-old will be fully fit.He has received better news on Sebastien Squillaci's hamstring injury, with the French defender set to be sidelined for between two and three weeks, but the Gunners remain short of options at the heart of their back four and accept that they may be forced to enter the transfer market in an effort to find reinforcements. "He (Vermaelen) has another check today," Wenger toldon Tuesday. "He had another setback on Saturday that we are concerned with. We are consulting top specialists around the world. We'll know more on Wednesday. "Unfortunately I can't give you any precise date but I concede that, with this little setback from Thomas, we are in a situation where we will have to look around. "Squillaci will be out for a maximum of three weeks, minimum two. It is a hamstring injury but it is not too bad - a grade one. He'll be back in two weeks if all goes well."