Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka will be sidelined for three months after suffering a significant injury to his medial knee ligament against Tottenham at the weekend, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
Xhaka had to be taken off after 82 minutes in Arsenal’s 3-1 win against Spurs on Sunday following a challenge from forward Lucas Moura.
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A club statement read: “Further to injuring his right knee during Sunday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur, 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.”
Xhaka returned to the Arsenal starting lineup for the derby after serving a three-match ban following a red card in the 5-0 defeat at Manchester City last month.
The 29-year-old, who was linked with a move to Serie A side Roma in the summer but ended up signing a one-year contract extension at the Emirates Stadium, has made five appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season.