Arsenal fear January signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan may miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury sustained against CSKA Moscow last week.
Mkhitaryan sustained the injury just after the hour mark of Arsenal’s 4-1 win over CSKA Moscow in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed initial scan results showed the former Manchester United creator suffered media knee ligament damage.
“He has a scan but the medial knee ligament has been touched,” The Daily Telegraph quote Wenger as saying. “The first impression is not too positive. I fear [it could be several weeks]. I hope I’m wrong.”
Arsenal are pinning their chances of securing Champions League football next term by winning the Europa League this season.
The Gunners have all but secured their name in the last four of the competition but Mkhitaryan’s potential absence for the rest of the season would be a hammer blow to their chances of winning it.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ineligible to take part in the Europa League, Arsenal will need their best remaining players available to overcome the teams still left in the competition.
Mkhitaryan is classed as a Europa League specialist after winning the trophy with United last season and he would be key to any success Arsenal are to have in the competition.
In fact, the 29-year-old has a higher WhoScored rating in the Europa League than he does in the Premier League for Arsenal.
