LONDON -- Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin will be sidelined for up to a month with a hamstring injury, while Santi Cazorla's recovery is also going slower than expected, Arsene Wenger has said.
Coquelin pulled his hamstring in the first half of the 3-3 draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday, and was set to have a scan on Thursday to determine the full extent of the damage.
"He is out for three or four weeks now," Wenger said at his news conference ahead of Saturday's FA Cup game at Preston North End. "I say three or four weeks because it is a hamstring and he came off, but maybe we will have good news. He will have a scan today, but I always count three weeks [for muscular injuries]."
The injury comes at a bad time as Arsenal are without Mohamed Elneny for the same period, with the Egyptian away at the African Nation Cup.
It will likely force Granit Xhaka to take on a more defensive role, which could give an opportunity to Aaron Ramsey to play in the second central midfield position normally occupied by Cazorla.
The Spanish midfielder underwent foot surgery in December and was initially set to miss three months, but Wenger said his recovery period could end up being "a bit longer."
"At the moment, he is far [from returning]. It's not going as quickly as I imagined it," Wenger said. "It could be a bit longer [than three months]. At the moment I don't really know, but I just have a schedule that he is not planned at the moment to go outside and run. I think once a player goes outside and runs without any problems, you count six weeks."
Wenger confirmed that he plans to rest Alexis Sanchez, Laurent Koscielny and Petr Cech for the game at Preston to give them a short winter break following the hectic festive period, but that he will play "90 percent" of his first-team squad. Mesut Ozil, who missed the last two Premier League games with the flu, will also not play.
"Mesut Ozil is coming in today and will be assessed by the doctor, but he has been out two weeks in bed, I cannot imagine that I will involve him on Saturday," Wenger said.
Lucas Perez is also a doubt because of an ankle injury, while Wenger is considering putting Danny Welbeck back into the squad for the first time since his knee surgery in May.
And despite resting some of his biggest stars, Wenger said he is taking the FA Cup seriously as he sets out to win it for a record seventh time.
"It is a big priority for us. We have shown historically that we care about it, and it is a massive competition for everybody," Wenger said. "To win the FA Cup is always a target each year.
"We know as well that after a congested Christmas period that the third round is always a tricky game and that is why I believe it is a mental challenge for the Premier League teams to prepare well and not have a bad surprise -- especially when you go to a Championship team, it is always difficult."
Despite the injury problems, Wenger reiterated that he does not plan to make any major reinforcements in the January transfer window.
And while the club is willing to listen to offers for right-backs Mathieu Debuchy and Carl Jenkinson, Wenger said none have come in so far.
"In our club, who is going out? Nobody at the moment. Who is coming in? Nobody," Wenger said. "The best way would've been to get Cazorla back, to get Danny Welbeck back. Anyway, there is very little hope to find players of that quality in the January transfer market. So the best way to deal with that is to get our injured players back."