Arsenal confirm Lucas Torreira lay-off as midfielder’s season ends early

Lucas Torreira is unlikely to play again for Arsenal this season after the Gunners confirmed his fractured ankle will keep him sidelined for up to 10 weeks.

The Uruguay international was taken off on a stretcher early on during the 2-0 FA Cup win at Portsmouth last week and was later seen leaving Fratton Park on crutches.

A fracture was confirmed by Arsenal late last week but no return date was set until the 24-year-old had seen a specialist – with further information released on Monday now ruling him out for between eight to 10 weeks.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of the weekend win over West Ham, Gunners head coach Mikel Arteta had said he was hoping Torreira would be able to play again this season.

But that now looks highly unlikely given the diagnosis and how long it would then take him to get back up to speed.

The former Sampdoria man had not previously started for Arsenal since the 2-2 Premier League draw at Chelsea on January 21 but was left injured after a challenge by Portsmouth defender James Bolton, which referee Mike Dean deemed to be a fair one.

 

 

Arsenal, meanwhile, are being linked with a move for a former striker, now rated in the £48m bracket, amid fresh claims that Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng will be sold this summer.

Latest rumours suggest that the Gunners will not be able to afford the striker’s increased wages to extend his deal and he will almost certainly move on at the end of the current campaign.

Aubameyang will enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer, and the club’s hierarchy would sooner fetch a decent fee for him rather than lose the 30-year-old for nothing in 2021.

Arteta insists he still wants the forward to stay but talks with Arsenal will need to improve significantly for that to happen.

“We will have to do that at some stage before the end of the season for sure and we will see the intentions that we have [and] his intentions,” Arteta said.

“Where we are sitting in [the table at] that moment. I think it is difficult to predict that context right now. For me it is very easy. I want to keep him under any circumstances.”

Aubameyang has scored 17 Premier League goals for the season and is currently joint leader in the Golden Boot race with Jamie Vardy and one ahead of Sergio Aguero.