Arsene Wenger has stressed that Danny Welbeck is in "good shape" despite being substituted at half time in Arsenal's 1-0 defeat at FC Koln on Thursday night.
The 26-year-old's departure after only 45 minutes of the Europa League encounter at the RheinEnergieStadion led to fears that the forward had suffered another injury.
Welbeck had only just returned from a hamstring problem and had suffered groin issues during this season, with the game in Germany just his second appearance in two months.
"The situation that it was planned before the game that he would play 45 minutes," Wenger told reporters after the match. "He is coming back from injury.
"We have three more games, on Sunday (Burnley), Wednesday (Huddersfield Town) and Saturday again (Manchester United). And medically the risk was a bit too high to play him for longer, because he has been out for a while.
"But he has no problem. He was of course ready to stay on, and frustrated to come off. But he's in good shape."
Despite losing to Koln, Arsenal still qualify for the Europa League knockout stages as Group H winners due to the goalless draw between BATE Borisov and Red Star Belgrade in Belarus.
Giuseppe Labellarte
