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, and has helped the Gunners begin to turn their early season form around with a string of impressive performances, including during their 3-1 victory over north London rivals Tottenham last weekend.
Unfortunately, the 29-year-old also picked up a serious injury during that contest and is now set to be out of action until Christmas, but Arsenal say he will not require surgery.
What has been said?
A statement on the Arsenal website reads: "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.
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"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 receiving 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 2022 World Cup qualifiers.