Fabregas will be out for four months

Updated: December 23, 2008, 8:48 AM EST 94 comments

"The news is not good," Wenger said. "He will be working hard to come back earlier but I count four months."

That will rule him out of Arsenal's Champions League matches against AS Roma on Feb. 24 and March 11, and further hit his team's attempts to haul itself back into contention for the title.

"We will miss him, of course, but how much is difficult to say," Wenger said. "We have to find a way and we want to find a way to compensate the fact that he is not on the pitch to give everyone a bit more."

Wenger may now consider signing new players during the January transfer window to fill the gap left in Arsenal's midfield.

"It is more likely but we also have internal solutions and we are not desperate," Wenger said.

Fabregas hobbled out of Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Liverpool, which left Arsenal eight points off the lead and in fifth place, following a tackle by Xabi Alonso at the end of the first half.

Wenger said the tackle was fair and he did not blame Alonso.

Arsenal has struggled badly this season with several key players on the sidelines. Tomas Rosicky has not played for a year because of a hamstring injury, Theo Walcott is out with a dislocated shoulder, and Eduardo da Silva has only just returned to the reserve team after 10 months out with a broken ankle.

William Gallas was stripped of the captaincy after publicly criticizing his teammates' attitude and the team appears to be missing Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb, who left during the offseason.