Granit Xhaka and Jack Grealish send messages as surgery update shared
Oleksandr Zinchenko has undergone surgery on a knee injury that he suffered in just his second appearance for Ajax.
The left-back completed a permanent move to the Dutch giants in the winter transfer window, after cutting his loan move to Nottingham Forest short.
The 29-year-old had been loaned out for the season by Arsenal, and he was due to become a free agent in the summer.
With Nottingham Forest uninterested in keeping him at the City Ground and Ajax offering a small fee, however, the Gunners were happy to sanction the move.
Zinchenko has suffered from several injury issues in recent years, and unfortunately, it appears that his latest move has not brought an end to those problems.
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Jack Grealish and Granit Xhaka send Oleksandr Zinchenko messages
It would take just a few minutes of Zinchenko’s home debut for his Ajax career to quickly turn into a nightmare.
The defender fell awkwardly and was instantly in serious pain, eventually leaving the pitch with the aid of the medical staff.
It has since been confirmed that Zinchenko is set to miss six to seven months with a serious knee injury, potentially ending his Ajax career before it even began.
The 29-year-old signed a contract until the end of the season, and will be a free agent in the summer if an agreement on an extension cannot be found.
The injury also ends the former Arsenal man’s hopes of going to the World Cup with Ukraine. His country are set to compete for their place in the play-offs next month, but will be without him if they progress.
Zinchenko took to Instagram on Saturday to share a picture after he had undergone surgery, captioned: “Tough times ahead. Let’s go. God’s plan”.
Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka left a message telling his former teammate to “get well soon”, and Everton winger Jack Grealish left a heart on the post.
More stars send Zinchenko messages
Arsenal defender Gabriel was also in the comments, sending his support to Zinchenko following the surgery.
And the Brazilian was joined by several other stars, including Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson.
Takehiro Tomiyasu joined Ajax on a free transfer in December, after mutually agreeing to terminate his Arsenal contract last summer.
The 27-year-old has suffered significant injury issues over the last two years and has now finally made his return to football with the Dutch side. He left a heart in the comments for Zinchenko.