Wenger: Difficult transfer decisions ahead

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted he may not look to sign a full-back in the January transfer window.

The Gunners are short in the position after injuries to Andre Santos, Carl Jenkinson, Bacary Sagna and Kieran Gibbs, with Gael Clichy and Armand Traore both sold in the summer transfer window and plying their trade elsewhere in the Barclays Premier League.

Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou have all filled in for Wenger in the position, but with two players set to return in January, turning to the transfer market no longer appears the best way to go for the Frenchman.

"At the moment it is very difficult because we have players out who are short to come back,. There are difficult decisions to make because we are short in the full-back positions," he told Arsenal Player ahead of the match against QPR.

"But you think, 'do you really want to buy a full back for three or four years?'

"When you have four out and two close to coming back. I think no, because we have people who can do the job during this period."

22-year-old Gibbs was set to return earlier this month, but was forced to undergo surgery on a groin problem after spending a spell on the sidelines with a hernia. He's due to return at the end of January.

Sagna, meanwhile, has been out of action since breaking his leg against Spurs, but Wenger revealed last week that the Frenchman has also targeted the first month of 2012 as a time to return.

"He is a long way ahead of schedule. I saw him still limping a little bit so we have to be careful but physically he will be ready very quickly because he worked very hard in the gym. We think the end of January is a reasonable target for him."