Lukas Podolski
Podolski has revealed his faces a three month absence with a hamstring injury. (Reuters)

Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski will be unavailable for longer than planned after the 29-year admitted he now faces three months out with a hamstring injury.

The Germany international picked up his injury during Arsenal's 2-0 win over Fenerbahce last Wednesday with his manager Arsene Wenger initially claiming Podolski would be ruled out for three weeks.

However that diagnosis was revised when the Arsenal manager admitted the hamstring injury was more severe than initially anticipated, confirming through the club's official website that an absence of eight to ten weeks was now expected.

But the forward has now admitted he could be unavailable until December having undergone a medical in Munich where his national side are preparing for World Cup qualifiers against Austria and Faroe Islands.

"I will be side lined for a long time - approximately three months," Podolski told Bild Zeitung via ESPN.

Podolski had got his 2013/14 campaign off to a flying start with two goals for the Gunners against Fulham in the club's second game of the season before he was struck down in their Champions League qualifier.

The latest prognosis will be a dampener on what has been an excellent start to September for Arsene Wenger's side. The club got the better of their free spending neighbours as they recorded a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the season's first north London derby on Sunday, before the club broke their record transfer fee to bring Mesut Ozil to the Emirates for £42.3m on transfer deadline day.

Podolski was one of a number of Arsenal players to express his delight over the club's move for the former Real Madrid man, declaring his compatriot's arrival in north London will be "great, for me, for Arsenal and for English football."

On another positive note, Wenger will likely have Thomas Vermaelen back at his disposal following the international break. The Belgian could be in line to feature against Sunderland on 14 September.