Alexandre Lacazette can’t seem to catch a break at Arsenal. The club’s marquee summer signing who has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium will now be out of the first team for a substantial period due to injury.
The Gunners confirmed this terrible news via their official website, announcing that the Frenchman had an arthroscopy on his left knee on Tuesday. The former Lyon ace underwent a successful procedure but is now tipped to be on the sidelines for six weeks.
This is a huge blow for both the club and the player. The 26-year-old who had been struggling for goals despite all the hype lost his starting position immediately upon Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s arrival. Now, he is set to be out until the end of March.
As a result, Lacazette will miss a number of crucial games for the north London side. The first important tie that the Frenchman will sit out is the round of 32 Europa League clash with Ostersunds - both the home and away legs. In fact, he will also miss the round of 16 and would only be available for the quarter-final, if the Premier League side makes it that far.
The former Ligue 1 ace will also have to watch the English League Cup final from the stands. Arsenal will lock horns with Man City at Wembley before facing off four days later in the league, with the striker having been ruled out for both ties. He will also miss out on trips to Brighton and Leicester City.
With Giroud gone to Chelsea and Aubameyang ineligible to play in the Europa League due to Dortmund also being in the competition, Lacazette was set to be their main striker in Europe. Le Prof will now have to rely on Danny Welbeck.
Unfortunately, the Englishman’s struggle with injuries has been worrisome. Youngster Eddie Nketiah is also an option. Wenger now has a lot to ponder about ahead of Thursday’s trip to Ostersund.
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