Arsenal shock as Djourou ruled out for six months

Last week Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti rued his lack of action in the transfer market after Fifa slapped a transfer ban until 2011 on the Londoners, accused of having illegally induced the young French international Gael Kakuta to the club.

Now Arsene Wenger is the latest manager to curse the transfer window, after the Arsenal defender Johan Djourou was ruled out for six months over the weekend, leaving the north Londoners with practically no cover at centre half.

Djourou picked up a knee injury during the preseason, and it had initially been hoped that the young Swiss player would only be out of action for a few weeks. However the 22-year-old's national football association announced that following surgery on his left knee Djourou is unlikely to return to action until March of next year.

The temper of Wenger, already smarting at a series of injustices including the banning of Croatian striker Eduardo by Uefa for two matches for simulation and the usual feelings of persecution, is unlikely to be lightened by Djourou's plight, not least because he picked up the injury for his national team in a meaningless friendly against Italy.

The defender, who was born in Cote d'Ivoire but who is naturalised in Switzerloand, has been at Arsenal since 15, when he joined Academy from Swiss second division side Etoile-Carouge FC. He has gradually become a regular squad member for Wenger, playing in 26 games last season.

Arsene Wenger will now be hoping that his first-choice centre backs William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen avoid serious injury, as his cover for their positions is just the French veteran Mikael Silvestre and Djourou's somewhat iffy fellow Swiss player Philippe Senderos.

Wenger had sat out for most of the summer transfer window, apparently happy enough with the caliber of players in his squad that beyond the signing of Belgian international Vermaelen he was happy with his lot. Indeed he even sold centre half Kolo Toure to Manchester City for £16m, and despite widespread reports that he was a fan, failed to make a move for Fulham's giant Norwegian defender Brede Hangeland. ·