Arsenal confirm key injury blow with 24-year-old star out for the season

Arsenal have confirmed that Calum Chambers has undergone a surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate knee ligament damage during the Premier League clash against Chelsea last weekend.

The England international sustained the injury during the opening 20 minutes of the London derby at the Emirates Stadium and it was predicted that the problem could be serious with manager Mikel Arteta acknowledging the same before the Manchester United clash.

The Gunners have now provided an update on their official website where the centre-back’s surgery has been confirmed and he is now expected to spend between six to nine months on the sidelines.

“Further to the injury sustained during the match against Chelsea on Sunday, we can confirm that Calum ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee,” an update on the club’s website read.

“Calum has had successful surgery in London on Thursday morning. The rehabilitation process is expected to take between six to nine months. Everyone at the club will be supporting Calum to ensure he is back on the pitch as soon as possible.”

Chambers’ setback is undoubtedly a huge blow for the club, given he has probably been the best-performing defender through the first half of the season despite regularly swapping between the right-back and central defensive roles.

The 24-year-old’s long-term absence should entice the club to make an approach for a new defender in the New Year and the focus could lie on strengthening the heart of the backline, which has been a weak point for the campaign.

David Luiz has shown a genuine improvement on his displays under Arteta and Sokratis recently complemented him with a solid performance against United. Still, Arteta should definitely look to add another recruit in the position such that the duo are able to sustain their performance levels knowing that any mistake could see them axed from the starting XI.