Arsenal hit by defender blow
England Under-21 defender Kieran Gibbs is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering his latest setback during the closing stages of the win over Liege on Tuesday night.
Gibbs had been scheduled to fill in for Gael Clichy, out with a back problem, so Armand Traore, who had a spell on loan at Portsmouth last season, will deputise.
Boss Arsene Wenger said: "Kieran had surgery this morning and the surgeon gave us a good report that he did not need any metal in his foot.
"The first metatarsal is broken, which is very rare. He will be out for at least three months."
Even with Arsenal's defensive reshuffle, Wenger knows full well whoever is in the backline on Sunday will face a stern examination from Didier Drogba and former Gunner Nicolas Anelka.
"You know they are a good side and to beat them, you have to deliver a good performance," said the Arsenal boss.
"It is more important we focus on what we do than any strength or weakness of Chelsea.
"They are a strong side and have a good manager in Carlo Ancelotti, but I still believe that despite all that, we can still beat them.
"Let us expect them to be strong on the day, and then let us be stronger."
