Arsenal defender out of World Cup with horror achilles injury

Oli Fisher

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny is set to miss the World Cup after suffering a torn achilles, it has been confirmed.

The defender went to the ground with no other player around him in the early stages of Arsenal’s Europa League semi-final second leg at Wanda Metropolitano.

The Frenchman looked in severe pain, rolling around on the ground and pounding the floor as medics rushed on.

It was confirmed during half-time that Koscielny has suffered a torn achilles, and will be out for six months.

“He’s holding his Achilles there,” Robbie Savage said while commentating on the game.

“Looking at his face, you know as a player when you’ve done something serious.

“Just look at the way he fell over, there’s no physiotherapist here, but you can tell when a player’s badly hurt himself.

“He went straight to his Achilles didn’t he.

“It’s a big moment for (Calum) Chambers coming on, into this stadium, into that back four.

“The captain going off, who’s a leader. Arsenal haven’t got many leaders on the pitch and losing one with the armband is a huge, huge blow.”

 

Arsenal Laurent Koscielny