Arsenal's Premier League title challenge was dealt a huge blow 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 said. The Spain midfielder injured his right fibula in a collision with Barcelona defender Carles Puyol in Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League quarterfinal first-leg draw in London. He picked himself up to tuck away the resulting penalty for Arsenal's equalizer and hobbled through the final eight minutes before leaving the stadium on crutches muttering that he feared the worst. A scan Thursday confirmed his pessimism was not misplaced but while the injury could not have come at a worse time for Arsenal as it tries and reels 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 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 Saturday. Given the all-clear to play Wednesday, Fabregas and his teammates 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. He would not have been able to play in the second leg anyway after a yellow card for a first-half tackle on Sergio Busquets, making his courageous performance even more remarkable. “It was a gamble worth taking,” Fabregas said after an epic encounter with his old club, although manager Arsene Wenger may well be questioning his own judgement now, especially with William Gallas and Andrei Arshavin suffering calf injuries. Rooney has minor injury England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has suffered “minor ligament damage” and a scan of his injured ankle showed no fracture, his club said Thursday. The results of the scan appear to suggest Rooney should be able to play in this year's World Cup Finals in South Africa, which kick off in 10 weeks' time. “We're pleased to report that Wayne has not suffered a fracture. The scan revealed only minor ligament damage,” a club spokeswoman told ManUtd.com, without saying how many games Rooney will miss. The 24-year-old appears almost certain to play no part in Saturday's crucial top-of-the-table Premier League clash against Chelsea.
