Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger hopeful Francis Coquelin will only miss three weeks with knee injury

• e-mail

Arsene Wenger is hopeful Francis Coquelin will miss just three weeks as it emerged his knee injury is not as bad as first feared.

The Arsenal manager feared his midfield lynchpin had suffered the same knee ligament injury that ruled him out for two months last season in Saturday's win over Chelsea.

But Wenger is hopeful Coquelin will miss just three more weeks, despite the fact he left the Emirates in a knee brace on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger is hopeful Francis Coquelin will only miss three weeks with a knee injury

The French midfielder picked up the injury during the first half of Arsenal's win over Chelsea

Granit Xhaka (centre) replaced Coquelin but Wenger is hopeful he won't be out for too long

Wenger ruled Coquelin out of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Basle at the Emirates but believes the injury the midfielder sustained is only 'short-term'.

'Coquelin is out for the game tomorrow,' Wenger said. 'It should be a short-term injury. The scan was quite positive.'

Losing Coquelin for a number of weeks is far from positive for Wenger, but he can at least call upon an adequate replacement for the 25-year-old. 

The Frenchman was replaced by Granit Xhaka on 32 minutes during the Gunners' dismantling of Chelsea, and it is likely the Swiss international will start against his old club, and brother Taulant, on Wednesday.

Granit Xhaka replaced Coquelin in Saturday and could against Basle in the Champions League