Arsenal have been dealt the Christos Tzolis scare fans were dreading
Christos Tzolis was withdrawn just 18 minutes into Greece's Nations League clash with the Netherlands on Thursday night after suffering a suspected hamstring injury and while the feeling is that it's not overly serious, Arsenal have been dealt the scare most fans expected.
The Gunners' summer transfer business left a lot to be desired with Tzolis the sole incoming in attack while both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard were moved on, leaving their Greek counterpart as the only clear option on the left flank.
That was something Arsenal supporters had been worrying about since the moment the window slammed shut just over a month ago, and their worst fears look to have become a reality after Tzolis suffered this injury on international duty.
🚨 BREAKING: Christos Tzolis is expected to be sidelined for 2-3 weeks following the injury he suffered. 🇬🇷
The initial assessment suggests a spell on the sidelines of around two to three weeks. ⏳#Tzolis #Greece #Arsenal #PremierLeague 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/2ZZpz2xcar
After undergoing first tests with Greece, initial reports from Dimitris Manakos, who was among the first journalists to break the news of Tzolis' move to Arsenal, have suggested that he is expected to be absent for two to three weeks.
While that isn't the most devastating amount of time on the sidelines for a player, it certainly has the potential to be catastrophic for the Gunners as the fears that their fans had around the lack of options on the left wing have been realised sooner than most of would have thought.
As Martinelli and Trossard departed the club in the summer, there was always an expectation among the fanbase that Arsenal would add two new attackers to their ranks. Tzolis was the first through the door and despite links with several top players, no one else followed him to the Emirates Stadium.
That left Mikel Arteta very light on options for that side with the Greek starting six of his side's eight games so far, including all of their Premier League matches, and now it looks like he will have to turn to an unorthodox option to fill in.
With Tzolis seeming set to miss clashes with Leeds, Lille, Nottingham Forest, Bayern Munich, Everton and Fleetwood Town, Eberechi Eze will likely step in on the left flank, but he won't be able to offer the same output as his Greek counterpart.
The FA Cup winner has failed to impress in his occasional chances so far this season and with his best position being as a number 10, he is unlikely to make a major impact on the left, but Arsenal don't really have a choice.
Bukayo Saka should be prepared for a heavy workload upon a return to club action as if Tzolis isn't available and Eze comes in on the opposite flank, there will be a severe decrease in threat down that side.
Arsenal can't help but realise they have been the architects of their own downfall in this situation though. There was never a genuine attempt to sign another left winger after Tzolis was brought in and that was always going to be a dangerous move and with the Greek now set to miss almost a month of action, the Gunners need to deal with the problem plenty expected to come.
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