Arsenal left back Kieran Gibbs could be facing a long lay-off after hobbling out of England s goalless European Under-21 Championship qualifier in Lithuania on Tuesday. The young defender was taken to hospital for an x-ray in Vilnius on crutches and was i

Arsenal left back Kieran Gibbs could be facing a long lay-off after hobbling out of England's goalless European Under-21 Championship qualifier in Lithuania on Tuesday.

The young defender was taken to hospital for an x-ray in Vilnius on crutches and was initially feared to have broken a metatarsal, although the club was still clinging on to the hope last night that he had just sustained severe bruising.

He is expected to miss Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Sunderland - at least.

Arsene Wenger now has a mini-crisis at left-back. Gibbs has impressed for Arsenal since replacing French defender Gael Clichy, who has a stress fracture in his lower back, in the first team.

It's another blow for the Arsenal manager after Robin van Persie was effectively ruled out of the rest of 2009 with ankle ligament damage sustained in Holland's friendly in Italy last weekend.

Van Persie was still believed to be in Belgrade on Wednesday where he is receiving treatment from mother-of-three Mariana Kovacevic involving horse placenta fluids in a bid to half the healing process from at least six weeks to nearer three.

"She is vague about her methods, but I know she first massages you for a long time with placenta fluids," said van Persie. "I'm going to give it a try -it can't do any harm and if it helps, it helps.