Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has denied that he misled people about the severity of Danny Welbeck's injury, reports BBC Sport.

The striker has now been ruled out until Christmas with a knee injury - but Wenger says he told the truth when he informed the press on 27 August that Welbeck was "progressing well".

"I am surprised that people accused me of lying. I did not know Welbeck had had a bad setback," Wenger said.

"I gave you the information I had. I did not lie to you."

Wenger had been hopeful that Welbeck would have been fit to return after the recent international break - but that changed soon after his weekly Friday news conference.

"I heard late on Friday night [27 August] that his condition had not evolved as well as we thought," he added.

"He had needed specialist and needed further investigation."