Arsenal: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will miss six to eight weeks but midfielder does not need surgery

Arsenal have been handed mixed injury news prior to their Premier League clash against Swansea City on 2 March, with Arsene Wenger confirming that midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will not require surgery. The England international sustained a knee problem following a collision with Javier Mascherano during last month's Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat to Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium and initially tried to run it off before being replaced by Theo Walcott shortly after half-time.

Estimates as to the length of his recovery have varied frequently since then. Wenger initially expressed hope that he would only miss around three weeks while also acknowledging that his absence could last for six or even seven. The most recent reports suggested that Oxlade-Chamberlain could be back in just over a month after visiting a second specialist, although his manager has now provided a definitive update on that timescale.

As quoted by The Mirror at his latest pre-match press conference, Wenger said: "He will be out for six to eight weeks but he won't need surgery."

If indeed Oxlade-Chamberlain does not return to action until May, then he would need to get back up to speed quickly ahead of the European Championship finals. England, who will also be sweating over the knee injury sustained by captain Wayne Rooney in February, open their latest major tournament campaign against Leonid Slutsky's Russia in Marseille on 11 June.

Wenger has no obvious new fitness concerns ahead of the visit of Swansea, with Jack Wilshere still recovering from a hairline crack to his left fibula suffered during a training session in August 2015. Santi Cazorla should make his comeback from knee ligament damage soon, although injury-plagued midfielder Tomas Rosicky remains sidelined with a thigh strain suffered just minutes into his first appearance for seven months in the FA Cup fourth-round win over Burnley.

"We have one or two [players with] muscular tightness but everybody should be all right for tomorrow."

Wenger also stressed the need to be "cautious" with Danny Welbeck, who recently netted against former club Manchester United in a morale-sapping 3-2 loss at Old Trafford that came as a real blow to the Gunners' title credentials. That was the 25-year-old's second goal in four appearances since returning from a serious knee issue that had ruled him out since last April.