One of Arsenal’s biggest mysteries of this season is certainly the injury which defender Thomas Vermaelen suffered when on duty with the Belgian National side. And according to manager Arsene Wenger, the player is not close to return.

Speaking to Arsenal TV Online, the Frenchman was honest enough to admit that he cannot set a return date for the 25-year old as he simply doesn’t know how serious the Achilles injury is. Vermaelen suffered the injury in September with Wenger saying last week how no surgery is required but also how patience is required.

On goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, Wenger added how the Spaniard will join the squad for the trip at Villa Park but failed to reveal whether he will start in goal.

On captain Cesc Fabregas, the Arsenal boss declared that the midfielder underwent a number of tests after the Champions League game and how further investigations will be taking place in the coming days.

The captain has been suffering with hamstring problems for months and is expected to be on the sidelines for two more weeks.

On Friday, Wenger said:

[Thomas] Vermaelen is not available.

I refuse to give you any set time because we’ve heard so much about him. I don’t know.

[Manuel Almunia] is available for the weekend. At the moment I am concerned about the Villa game and don’t want to come out with who will play and who will not.

We have analysed [Fabregas'] body and it is not fatigued and he is not tired. He is a guy who just has a little bit of a hamstring problem but where does it come from? Does it come from his back, from the fact that he is naturally not flexible?

We are investigating as much as we can. The problem [is] before when you were injured you waited at home and when you could play again you played again – today you can have ten scientists around you but you still get injured.

We will consultant every specialist we can. But at the end of the day it doesn’t stop him from being injured.