Arsenal pair out for three weeks

Arsenal's defensive pair of William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre are both likely to be sidelined for three weeks because of injury.

Silvestre, 31, limped off with a thigh injury against Portsmouth last week while Gallas, also 31, has since picked up a hamstring problem.

"Unfortunately we have lost William and Mikael too," manager Arsene Wenger told the club website.

"I think they will both be out for three weeks."

However, Wenger expects centre-back Kolo Toure and midfielder Denilson to return to the squad for Saturday's home game against Bolton.

Wenger feels that his side has changed in recent games, but the Frenchman will now have to reassess his defensive options following the injuries to his two key defenders.

He added: "We have definitely become more solid over the last few weeks. As a team we are better defensively and I also think that the creative spark will come back quickly, as confidence builds.

"When you can be consistent, the confidence returns and with that the creative side of the game will come. We have made a small change to the structure of the team lately, which has helped us to be more solid defensively.

"We have included more defensive players in the team, which I felt was needed especially away from home.

"However, the other side of that is, inevitably, you create less.

"There is always a balance to be achieved, but I think we are getting it because with just one up front at Villa Park, we scored twice and could have had more."