Arsenal’s hopes of qualifying for the Europa League final were dealt a major blow as captain Laurent Koscielny picked up what appeared to be a serious injury in the early minutes of their game against Atletico Madrid.
With the scores goalless on the night, Koscielny fell to the floor with seven minutes played, clutching his right ankle. It immediately became clear that the French international was in a lot of pain.
After nearly five minutes of treatment on the field of play, he was taken away on a stretcher.
Footage of the incident shows that Koscielny was yards away from Diego Costa, his nearest opponent, at the time he collapsed. Realising the seriousness of the situation, the former Chelsea instantly orders his teammates to kick the ball into touch.
https://twitter.com/Destaquito2/status/992120709760602112
Costa was later seen consoling Koscielny as he received treatment.
Diego Costa consoles a devastated Laurent Koscielny… pic.twitter.com/Ok1KeY0lvl
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 3, 2018
Although it is unclear at this stage what the injury is, some suggested it may be an ankle or achilles problem. With the World Cup only six weeks away, there’s a very real possibility that Koscielny will not be part of France’s squad for the tournament.
