Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin could be set for a long spell on the sidelines after suffering suspected knee ligament damage in their 2-1 defeat to West Brom on Saturday.
Coquelin, 24, left the Hawthorns on crutches after a heavy challenge with Claudio Yacob forced the Frenchman to come off midway through the first half.
The extent of the injury is still unclear but the initial signs aren’t good and leaves Arsenal desperately short of options ahead of their crucial Champions League fixture with Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday, with Mikel Arteta also ruled out after injuring his calf at the weekend.
However, it is the injury to Coquelin that will concern Arsenal most. The French midfielder has been in sensational form since being promoted into the first-team last season. His partnership alongside Santi Cazorla has been one of the main reasons behind their success over the last 12 months.
In fact, Coquelin has made at least four more tackles than any other Arsenal player in the Premier League this season (37) despite only playing 894 minutes of a possible 1,170.
For more stats on Francis Coquelin, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
