Francis Coquelin injury: Arsenal midfielder out at least two months, Arsene Wenger confirms

Coquelin, who has emerged as an invaluable anchor man for the Gunners in recent months, picked up the knock in the early stages of the 2-1 defeat at The Hawthorns, following a tackle he made on Baggies midfielder Claudio Yacob.

The Frenchman left the ground on crutches and, amid further assessment to reveal the full extent of the issue, Wenger confirmed initial media reports that Coquelin would miss at least two months.

The Daily Mail reported that initial scans had uncovered "substantial" damage, with media speculation about the length of his lay-off ranging from a number of weeks to four months.

"Coquelin is out for at least two months," Wenger confirmed on Monday, revealing Coquelin will undergo a further scan on Monday to ascertain whether the lay-off is any longer.

"We have had so many bad surprises on the scans, so I don't want to speculate more," he added.

“How big is the damage we don’t know. It is of course a disappointment to lose him longer term."

When asked if Arsenal would look to sign another defensive midfielder as a result in the January transfer window, Wenger suggested it was something he would strongly consider.

"I will do what is needed in January," Wenger said, "knowing that it is not an ideal market."

Wenger did have some good news on Monday, revealing that Aaron Ramsey was back in training and fit enough to be included in the squad for Dinamo Zagreb.

Much will depend on how bad the injury was to Mikel Arteta, who replaced Coquelin on Saturday before himself succumbing to an injury.

Arteta's knock looked less serious. That might prove a mixed blessing for Arsenal fans, given that his cameo was dubbed one the "worst performances in history" as he scored an own goal with his hand and gave away a free kick that led to another.

Mathieu Flamini came on to replace Arteta during the match against West Brom, and he seems likely to continue in the role for now - with Ramsey a viable alternative once he regains full fitness. But considering how vital Coquelin has been to Arsenal's superb 2015, the Gunners' title hopes have had a serious blow.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain said it himself in September, calling Coquelin "amazing", and explaining that Arsenal quite simply don't have a proper replacement: "Everything that he does is different to what a lot of the other boys in our team can do and I think that’s crucial to the team because he brings something different."