Thomas Vermaelen has undergone surgery on his left ankle and is expected to be out for at least a month, Arsenal confirmed this afternoon.
Vermaelen underwent the surgery yesterday in Stockholm after suffering the injury in the Gunners' 2-1 win over Udinese on 24 August.
The Belgium defender, who missed eight months of last season with an Achilles injury on his right foot, will miss the north London derby at Tottenham on 2 October and the club's first two Champions League group stage matches.
While losing Vermaelen for such crucial games is a blow for the Gunners, manager Arsene Wenger will be pleased that his star defender is not out for longer.
Some reports this morning had suggested Vermaelen would be out for two months, but the club played down that speculation this afternoon.
An Arsenal statement read: "Thomas Vermaelen is expected to be back in training with the first-team squad in around a month.
"Vermaelen has undergone a minor procedure to remove an inflamed plantaris tendon from his left ankle.
"This is the same treatment that he had on his right ankle in January this year and has nothing to do with his Achilles tendon.
"The action was taken after consultation with specialists who advised this was the best thing to do to prevent it becoming a persistent problem."
