Arsenal blow as Xhaka ruled out for three months with knee injury

Arsenal have suffered a major injury blow following the news Granit Xhaka has been ruled out with a knee problem.

Xhaka has been a key man under Mikel Arteta, with the Gunners beginning to turn their early season form around including a 3-1 victory over north London rivals Tottenham in the Premier League.

However the midfielder is now set to be out until Christmas, although Arsenal say he will not require surgery.

What has been said?

A statement on the Arsenal website read: “Further to injuring his right knee during Sunday’s match against Tottenham, assessments and scans have confirmed that Granit Xhaka suffered a significant injury to his medial knee ligament.

“A specialist consultation took place in London on Tuesday evening which has determined that Granit does not require surgery. Granit’s recovery and rehabilitation programme will start immediately and we are aiming for him to be back in action in approximately three months.

“Everyone at the club will now be supporting and working hard with Granit to get him back on the pitch as soon as possible.”

What happened to Xhaka?

The Switzerland international was caught by the falling Lucas Moura following a Thomas Partey tackle and had to be assisted off the field by medics after a lengthy treatment on the pitch during the game at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

“I’m pretty worried because it doesn’t look very positive at the moment,” Arteta told his post-match press conference when asked about the severity of Xhaka’s injury.

While at times a divisive figure among Arsenal fans, Xhaka is one of only three players who started both their 2017 and 2020 FA Cup final triumphs, and his position at the club ensured they handed him a new three-year deal this year.

However he will now miss a significant portion of the Premier League season, and will also be absent for Switzerland’s upcoming qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.

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