When Switzerland and Arsenal defender Johan Djourou dislocated his shoulder in the dying stages of his side's 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat against Manchester United, it looked like his season would probably be over. This, of course, had huge rammifications for Arsenal, who have been forced to deploy the erratic Sebastian Squillaci alongside Laurent Koscielny in the centre of their defence - a partnership that hasn't worked in the past and shows no indication of clicking in the present. So when the Swiss FA revealed that the injury may not have been quite as bad as first feared, there was a lot of hope around the Gunners camp that he'd be back before the very end of the year, that prognosis has now been confirmed by the club in a statement on their official website:

Arsenal defender Johan Djourou has undergone exploratory surgery on his dislocated shoulder, sustained at Old Trafford in the recent FA Cup fixture against Manchester United.

The Club can confirm the positive news that there isn’t a need for reconstructive surgery and he will now begin a period of rehabilitation on the shoulder before returning to training in around a month.

That sounds like a very late April/early May comeback to me and although it might not be enough to save Arsenal's rapidly deteriorating season, having Djourou back at all this year has to be considered a huge boost for the club. There's life in the title race yet.