Gibbs has been tipped for a call-up to the England senior side
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that left-back Kieran Gibbs could be fit for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Standard Liege.
The 20-year-old, who bruised his right ankle playing for England Under-21s, was expected to be out for some time.
However, Wenger told Arsenal TV: "He had a suspected broken metatarsal, but later on it was much better news.
"He will still be out for Saturday's league game at Sunderland, but he could be back for Standard Liege."
Gibbs, 20, who has stood in while Gael Clichy is out with a back injury, featured in 21 matches for Arsenal last term and has played six games this time round.
He impressed at last summer's European Under-21 Championship in Sweden, where England were beaten by Germany in the final, and has been tipped for a full international call-up.
The diagnosis of Gibbs's injury will come as a welcome piece of good news for Wenger's injury-ravaged squad.
They are already without the injured Johan Djourou, Denilson, Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner, and on Monday it was confirmed that Robin van Persie would be out for six weeks with ankle ligament damage.
However, Wenger is relieved that Van Persie, who partially ruptured ligaments in his right ankle during the Netherlands' friendly against Italy in Pescara, is not out for longer.
He added: "We knew when Robin came out with this injury that he would be out for a long time, but frankly I feared it would be more because the first news was very, very bad. So it was a relief that he would be out for six weeks.
"Of course it is a disappointment and something we did not want, but I feel we have enough strength to compensate for his absence for a while."
Wenger's men are second in the Premier League, five points adrift of leaders Chelsea but with a game in hand.
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