Arsenal's Arsene Wenger confirms Nacho Monreal absence

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Nacho Monreal looks likely to miss the start of next season with a back injury.

Monreal suffered damage to a disc in his back during last month's Confederations Cup while playing for Spain and required treatment including injections from club doctors earlier this week.

Wenger told The Mirror: "Monreal has had an injection and it looks like he will miss the start of the season, and of course we have lost one left back and that's a position where we are a bit exposed.

"Thomas Vermaelen can play there, he is injured. Monreal can play there, he is injured. At the moment we only have Kieran Gibbs who can play at left back."

Central defender Laurent Koscielny has also been carrying a niggling injury that forced the Frenchman to sit out yesterday's 3-1 win over Nagoya Grampus.