Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says midfielder Aaron Ramsey could be out for up to three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury against Bayern Munich.
The Welshman joins goalkeeper David Ospina and midfielder Mikel Arteta on the sidelines with the goalkeeper also not back before the next international break.
Long-term absentees Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Danny Welbeck will be back in the first part of next year.
"He [Aaron Ramsey] had a scan today but he's out," Wenger revealed.
"I believe he will be out until after the next international break. With the [last] international break, the fact that he played against Andorra certainly cost Bale and him as well.
"Maybe he was overloaded a little bit with games. Ideally I think not him or Bale should have played against Andorra, because they were qualified.
"But unfortunately I could not decide that. I was in a position after that where I thought I could rest him against Watford.
"In the end I didn't do it and of course after, against Bayern, I had not much choice and we got punished. Ideally he should have had a breather, or at Watford. Realistically, the real breather he could have had was against Andorra.
"We lost [Mikel] Arteta on Thursday with an ankle problem, From the [Bayern] game we have no injuries but we lost Arteta [in training] yesterday unfortunately.
"David Ospina is out for our next game and certainly until the next international break.
"For them [Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Danny Welbeck], you can say around the New Year."
