Danny Welbeck Injury: Updates on Arsenal Striker's Knee and Return

Arsenal's Danny Welbeck is recovering from knee surgery and is expected to miss six months despite Gunners boss Arsene Wenger originally believing he would return to action in September.

Continue for updates.

---

Welbeck Recovery Timetable Revealed 

Sunday, Sept. 6

England boss Roy Hodgson confirmed the six-month time frame and commented on Welbeck's recent injury history, per Jason Burt of the Telegraph: "Well, Welbeck bothers me now. He has already been out for me since March and for Arsenal since April, so that’s over four months, isn’t it? And now I hear it’s another six months, so I can only hope that Danny recovers a bit quicker and then hits the ground running."

"Welbeck has undergone surgery on his left knee after being unable to sufficiently step up his rehabilitation work," relayed Arsenal.com on Sept. 3, adding:

"

It had been hoped he would avoid surgery but after increasing his training workload, the injury to his cartilage did not respond as well as hoped and the decision was taken last week for him to undergo surgery by a leading specialist in the field.

Danny is now expected to be out for a period of months and everyone at Arsenal wishes him well.

"

The former Manchester United man suffered a recurrence of the same injury that curtailed his previous season, which was "understood to be bruising on the bone," according to John Cross of the Daily Mirror on July 8.

Welbeck made 18 Premier League starts for Arsenal last term, scoring just four goals in the process, per WhoScored.com.

He has long coveted the role of central striker, but when Olivier Giroud returned to full fitness last season, the 24-year-old often found himself shifted out to the flanks or left on the bench—as was often the case during his time at Old Trafford.

It’s important Welbeck returns to full fitness in order to up the ante in Gunners colours this term. Granted, he provides Arsenal with a mobile option in advanced areas of the field, but the England international has to prove he can be a reliable goalscorer.

Much like fellow Arsenal forward Theo Walcott, Welbeck faces a battle against form, fitness and Arsenal's other squad members to nail down the central role.