Arsenal put up a solid display against Spurs last weekend but that win has come at some cost. Midfielder Granit Xhaka picked up an injury during the second half of that game and the initial updates are not looking good at all.
Lucas Moura accidentally fell on Xhaka’s leg and replays indicated that the Swiss international might have sustained some major ligament damage. And these fears were amplified by manager Mikel Arteta during his post-match press conference.
“Unfortunately he got injured. I’m pretty worried because it doesn’t look very positive at the moment,” the Gunners manager admitted after the match.
And now in a fresh update, Xhaka’s wife has posted a story on Instagram where the midfielder can be seen wearing a cast around his leg.
Arsenal are yet to provide an official update on the extent of the injury but the latest indications are not looking good for Granit Xhaka.
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Mikel Arteta had finally found some stability in central midfield with the pairing of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey but now this fresh injury has halted all those plans.
The Gunners take on Brighton in their next Premier League game, after which the international break kicks in so the midfielder will get some time to recover from this particular injury. Hopefully, a fortnight is enough to make a full recovery.
Also, Arsenal have signed 21-year-old Albert Lokonga during the summer transfer window and the youngster has impressed with his performances so far this season.
So until the big games come by, Lokonga should be able to pair up with Thomas Partey without any major issues.
UPDATE:
Now, in an update Swiss journalist Andreas Böni has claimed that the ligament damage on his right knee is likely to keep him on the sideline for around two months.
He wrote on Twitter: “First diagnosis: Granit Xhaka suffered a ruptured inner ligament in his right knee. It is out for at least 6 to 8 weeks. Further examinations are pending – but a cruciate ligament tear can be ruled out.”
Erste Diagnose: Granit Xhaka hat einen Innenbandriss im rechten Knie erlitten. Er fällt mindestens 6 bis 8 Wochen aus. Weitere Untersuchungen stehen an – aber ein Kreuzbandriss kann ausgeschlossen werden pic.twitter.com/xo1w9VtppU
— Andreas Böni (@AndreasBoeni) September 28, 2021
