Alexandre Lacazette sidelined for 6 weeks following knee surgery

With Arsenal preparing to battle Ostersunds FK in the last 32 of the Europa League on Thursday, the Premier League club have been dealt a major blow as it’s emerged – subject to a report published by City A.M. – that Alexandre Lacazette is to be unavailable for selection for 6 weeks after undergoing minor knee surgery on Monday.

The road to recovery starts now, although it’s thought that the French striker could miss up to nine competitive fixtures for the Gunners, and with club-record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being ineligible to play in the Europa League after his former employers Borussia Dortmund fell into the tournament from the Champions League, it leaves Arsene Wenger with a conundrum to solve in the offensive department.

Lacazette’s injury woes determine that Danny Welbeck is the only remaining striker left at Wenger’s disposal which is fit and able to play on the continent, and though there’s certainly tougher situations to be faced with, the England attacker has only netted 5 goals this term, a record which doesn’t necessarily scream danger.

Since joining the north-Londoners in the summer of 2017 for 46.5m from Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille, Lacazette has managed to notch 9 goals, and though that may also not stand as a particularly prolific tally, the 26-year-old is more than capable of running riot in the opposition’s box, and that will be sorely missed against the Swedish minnows especially.

What’s more alarming, away from European matters, is that Lacazette will subsequently miss the club’s Caraboa Cup final clash against Manchester City on February 25th as well as domestic meetings against Brighton & Hove Albion, Watford and Leicester City, and with City being the English game’s undisputed in-form collective this season under Pep Guardiola, ‘Le Prof’ will ultimately have to cope without his countryman’s influence in the scoring department at Wembley.