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Arsenal midfielder set for spell on the sidelines

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Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny is expected to be out of action for a while after suffering a long-term hamstring injury in the win over Fulham.

THE LOWDOWN: DECENT SHIFT

Mohammed Elneny featured in Arsenal’s comeback win over Fulham on Saturday, having started in place of injured Thomas Partey. The former Basel man completed 98.1% of his passes and made one tackle, in a fixture where the Gunners had the Cottagers on the back foot for long spell.

Despite being the Egypt midfielder’s first appearance of the season where he played the full 90 minutes, he was quite decent in his shift as the Gunners made it four wins out of four Premier League games.

THE LATEST: INJURY BLOW

According to The Athletic, Mohammed Elneny has suffered a significant injury during the victory over Fulham, and claims it was not until after the match that the issue became apparent.

The 30-year-old has been a squad member since joining Arsenal from Basel in 2016, and just recently signed a contract extension with the North London outfit.

Elneny’s injury is reportedly being assessed and it is not yet known how long he will be out of action, but initial indications suggest he could be out for some months.

THE VERDICT: BAD NEWS

This is bad news for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. At a time that the Gunners were beginning to find expression and rhythm, such a player’s absence could spell doom.

Although Elneny has largely been a squad player, the tight schedule the Gunners have ahead of the World Cup break, has made this injury difficult to take.

This latest development leaves Albert Sambi Lokonga – who has played just three minutes so far this term – and Ainsley Maitland-Niles – who has been in talks with Southampton over a move – as the only natural partners for Granit Xhaka in midfield.

With the list above, Arsenal may have to hit the transfer market before it closes for a short-term solution at this point.

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