LONDON: (Reuters) - Arsenal's Premier League title challenge was dealt a huge blow on Thursday after captain Cesc Fabregas was ruled out for the rest of the season with a cracked bone in his right leg.
"Cesc will miss the remainder of the domestic campaign as he will be out of action for at least six weeks," a statement on the club's website (www.arsenal.com) said.
The Spain midfielder injured his right fibula in a collision with Barcelona defender Carles Puyol in Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League quarter-final first-leg draw in London.
He picked himself up to tuck away the resulting penalty for Arsenal's equaliser and hobbled through the final eight minutes before leaving the stadium on crutches muttering that he feared the worst.
A scan on Thursday confirmed his pessimism was not misplaced but while the injury could not have come at a worse time for Arsenal as they try and reel in Chelsea and Manchester United, he should be fit for the World Cup finals.
"I hope he recovers as soon as possible so we can start enjoying his play again and he can go to the World Cup because he will be a very important player for us," Barca captain Puyol told a news conference on Thursday.
Fabregas, who has been in sparkling form for third-placed Arsenal, has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season, and was patched up by Arsenal's medical department this week after receiving a kick against Birmingham City on Saturday.
Given the all-clear to play on Wednesday, Fabregas and his team mates were run ragged by Barcelona for an hour at the Emirates, but he gradually rallied his troops for an unlikely late revival that brought two late goals.
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