From the injury he sustained seven minutes into the Europa League semi-final with Atletico Madrid on Thursday May 3, 2018, Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny’s World Cup hopes looked to be in tatters. The centre half was stretchered off during the opening stages of the game and is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Koscielny looked in excruciating pain, clutching his right ankle as he writhed on the floor immediately after suffering the injury. The fact no one was near him indicates a possible achilles tendon rupture. He was seen leaving the ground on crutches with his left foot in a protective boot after full-time.
Manager Arsene Wenger said: ‘Koscielny doesn’t look very good. You always hope for a miracle in the scan but the first signs don’t look very good. ‘It looks like his achilles could be ruptured but I can’t give a diagnosis until the scan tomorrow.’ Koscielny has suffered from a chronic achilles problem for around 18 months and requires regular treatment on the tendon to get him through the rigours of daily training sessions and matches.
Wenger has used him sparingly in recent weeks to keep the problem under control as the manager looked to ensure his key defender would be available for Arsenal’s Europa League games. If the injury is confirmed as a snapped achilles then Kosciely could face anything from four to eight months on the treatment table, ruling him out of France’s World Cup campaign and casting doubt over his availability for the start of next season.
