Soccer: Fabregas out until February

Arsene Wenger's gamble to throw Cesc Fabregas on at half-time against Aston Villa in late December is looking like an increasingly bad move.

True, Fabregas changed the game, scored twice and earned the Gunners three points that had looked unlikely during the first half. But Wenger was not thinking long-term.

The surprise is that Wenger is a manager whose whole mentality is to look to the future and weigh up the options - yet he seemingly did not with Fabregas. He was desperate for points and risked his best player when not fully fit.

The result? Fabregas aggrevated his hamstring injury and is set to be on the sidelines until February. Wenger's decision may come back to haunt him over the next four weeks.