Arsenal: Futures of Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky to be resolved by end of May

Arsenal hope to have the futures of Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky resolved by the end of May, according to manager Arsene Wenger.

Arteta, 33, has not played since November 2014 having undergone ankle surgery at the beginning of the year but hopes to play again before the end of the season.

The Gunners skipper is entering the final months of his current deal and has previously said contract negotiations to extend his stay at the Emirates will take "five minutes" – providing he can prove his fitness.

Rosicky, meanwhile, has a year remaining on his current contract but has admitted his frustration over his lack of playing time this season and considered leaving the club during the January transfer window.

The 34-year-old midfielder still believes staying at Arsenal "is an option" for next season and his manager has confirmed there will be final talks with both him and Arteta at the end of the month.

When asked about Arteta's contract situation and Rosicky's future, Wenger told a press conference on 1 May: "That will all be sorted at the end of May."

Rosicky had to wait until Boxing Day for his first Premier League start of the 2014-15 season, going on to start in the club's next three games over the festive period.

Opportunities have dried up since then, though, having started just one game since February and making a handful of appearances off the bench.

Arteta's lengthy absence has seen Francis Coquelin take his role at the base of Arsenal's midfield to great success in the second half of the season. The Spaniard, meanwhile, has appeared for the club's Under-21 ranks in his bid to regain full fitness and hopes to be able to offer Wenger another option before the season closes.

"We need to manage the workload on the ankle," he recently told Arsenal's official website. "I played for the under-21s against Stoke recently, and I've been feeling OK, but I'm not in a position yet where I can feel perfect and just go out there forgetting about my ankle.

"I need to train more with the team, get my confidence and build it up. My aim now is to train with the team for another week or two and then be able to say to the boss 'OK, I'm ready now if you want to pick me'."