Arsene Wenger blames Wales for Aaron Ramsey injury as Arsenal star is ruled …

Aaron Ramsey is expected to be out until after next international break
The Arsenal midfielder was forced off against Bayern Munich with injury
Back-up ‘keeper David Ospina is also expected to be out for three weeks

Matt Barlow for MailOnline

Published:
10:09 EST, 22 October 2015

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Updated:
15:41 EST, 22 October 2015

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Arsene Wenger has blamed Wales for Aaron Ramsey’s injury as the Arsenal boss confirmed the midfielder will face at least a month out.

Ramsey pulled a hamstring during Tuesday’s victory against Bayern Munich. It was his fifth game in 17 days, including a dead-rubber Euro 2016 qualifier against Andorra.

Gareth Bale and Ramsey both wanted to play for their country in Cardiff in the final game of the campaign as Welsh football celebrated a place in a major tournament for the first time since 1958.

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey signals to the bench to be taken off after sustaining a hamstring injury

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ARSENAL MINUTES ON PITCH (ALL COMPS 2015-16)

Cazorla – 1,159

Ramsey – 1,064

Ozil – 1,020

Monreal – 990

Cech – 990

Stats by Opta

Both played for 90 minutes, both scored in the 2-0 win against a team ranked 205th in the world, and both have since fallen to muscular injuries, raising questions of fatigue.

Bale’s recurrence of a calf injury prompted accusations of disrespect in Madrid and the issue has not escaped Arsenal, who have ruled Ramsey out of the games against Everton, Sheffield Wednesday, Swansea, Bayern Munich and Tottenham.

‘He had a scan and he’s out,’ said Wenger. ‘I believe he will be out until after the next international break. The fact that he played against Andorra certainly cost Bale and him as well.’

Wales will be without Ramsey against Holland next month. Arsenal’s penultimate Champions League group game, at home to Dinamo Zagreb could be pencilled-in for possible a return, but the 24-year-old midfielder will be wary of rushing back too soon and triggering complications.

Ramsey’s workload and training regime has been carefully managed since he was hit by three separate hamstring injuries last season.

Ramsey receives treatment during Arsenal’s win over Bayern Munich as team-mate Theo Walcott looks on

Yet he is integral to Wenger’s team. He has started all nine of their games in the Barclays Premier League, missing only the last 13 minutes at Leicester when he came off with his side coasting to a 5-2 win.

At Arsenal, only Santi Cazorla has played more minutes in all competitions, but Cazorla is not indispensable to Spain in the same way Ramsey is to Wales.

He started in all four games for Chris Coleman this season and been substituted only once, in the 89th minute against Cyprus.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina (left) is also expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks

Aware of the increasing burden, Wenger tried to rest him in the Champions League but the plan backfired.

Ramsey did not travel to Croatia and Arsenal lost Dinamo Zagreb, and he started on the bench against Olympiakos only to be pressed into action on the hour as they were beaten again.

Wenger has also ruled back-up goalkeeper David Ospina out for the next month. Ospina suffered a shoulder injury while on international duty with Colombia.