The Telegraph’s Jeremy Wilson has claimed that Arsenal are still confident that Danny Welbeck will return at Christmas and not in six months time as Roy Hodgson has claimed.

Welbz underwent surgery on Monday, 31st August, on the knee injury that he picked up last season and in their statement they merely said that the forward would be out for a ‘matter of months’.

This was then clarified in the press by journalists who had been speaking to the club only to be dismissed when the England manager made his comments last week.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Danny Welbeck of Arsenal arrives prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor on April 11, 2015 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
BURNLEY, ENGLAND – APRIL 11: Danny Welbeck of Arsenal arrives prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Burnley and Arsenal at Turf Moor on April 11, 2015 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Now, the club have informed Wilson that they are still confident in their original estimate that the player will be back at the end of the year.

Of course, Arsenal don’t exactly have the greatest of track records when it comes to delivering players within their stated time frames with the infamous ‘three weeks’ now widely regarded by fans to more likely mean ‘three months’.

Welbeck underwent surgery to correct a problem with his articular cartilage after the club had tried to avoid surgery. When rest did not allow the problem to resolve itself, surgery was then greenlit after he was unable to deal with a step-up in training.