Arsenal defender Krystian Bielik has ruled himself out until December after undergoing surgery to correct a shoulder problem.

The 19-year-old is said to have sustained the injury during the Arsenal Under-23's Premier League 2 win over Manchester City last month and it was decided that he will undergo surgery to correct the issue.

Bielik is regarded highly at the club and Arsene Wenger has tipped him to make the step up to the first-team in the coming seasons after impressing with the youth setup since he arrived from Polish outfit Legia Warsaw in 2015. He joined as a defensive midfielder, but has been successfully converted into a centre-back, which is seen as his most suited position in the long-term.

The Poland U19 international has made two appearances for the Gunners first-team in the English Football League (EFL) Cup and was touted for more appearances this season after impressing during Arsenal's pre-season tour of Australia and China. There were also talks about leaving on loan after he impressed in the second-half of last season in the Championship with Birmingham City, but the shoulder injury looks to have put paid to any chances of regular first-team football elsewhere.

Krystian Bielik
Krystian Bielik impressed during Arsenal's pre-season tour of Australia and China this summer Getty

Bielik confirmed that the surgery was successful and is expecting to return to the pitch at the start of December. Despite the setback the Polish defender vowed to make a strong comeback.

"As you can see last few days weren't best for me. Operation went well and my shoulder is getting better every day. I need rest now but i will be back on the pitch at the beggining of December. I look forward because remeber WHAT DOES NOT KILL MAKES YOU STRONGER See you soon," Bielik wrote alongside a picture of him in hospital via his official Instagram account.

Arsenal will resume their Premier League campaign after the ongoing international break against Bournemouth as they look to get their season back on track following back-to-back losses to Stoke City and Liverpool.