Arsenal Injury Crisis: Tomas Rosicky Suffers Muscle Problem on International Duty With Czech Republic

Arsenal have been dealt another injury blow during the international break with Tomas Rosicky set to return to north London with a muscular problem.

Danny Welbeck, Mesut Ozil and Laurent Koscielny have all suffered knocks since joining up with their respective countries for European Championship qualifiers and 34-year-old Rosicky is the latest to join that list.

The midfielder featured in the Czech Republic's 2-1 win over Turkey on Friday 10 October but was withdrawn from the side that defeated Kazakhstan 4-2 on Monday 13 October after complaining of a problem.

"I couldn't do any sharp moments, I couldn't sprint," Rosicky was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

"If I tried to play at one tempo, I wouldn't make any difference for the team. I'll come back to London and we'll see. The doctor said I have something swollen between the muscles."

While Rosicky has largely played a peripheral role at his club this season – starting just one game in the Capital One Cup defeat to Southampton – Arsene Wenger's ever-growing absentee list suggested the player would have likely featured at some capacity in his side over the coming weeks.

The Arsenal manager welcomed Theo Walcott and Serge Gnabry back to first-team training on Monday 13 October and provided a further boost after revealing striker Olivier Giroud's rehabilitation from a broken foot is ahead of schedule.

But that good news has been offset by a string of fresh problems. Germany playmaker Ozil is facing three months out after suffering a partial ligament tear while Welbeck caused his concern after rolling on his ankle in England's win over Estonia.

Koscielny, meanwhile, returned from international duty with France last week after struggling with an Achilles problem. Initial reports suggested the 29-year-old's withdrawal was a mere precaution but a statement from the French football federation claiming the defender "has been suffering with chronic tendinitis of both Achilles tendons for several months" will have raised concern.

Mathieu Debuchy, Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta, Yaya Sanogo and Abou Diaby also remain unavailable.