Arsenal enjoyed a superb win over CSKA Moscow on Thursday night in the first-leg of the Europa League quarter-final but they did encounter some injury concerns, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan hobbling off in the second half.
The Armenian international subsequently missed Arsenal’s dramatic 3-2 Premier League victory over Southampton on Sunday and is due to miss the second-leg against CSKA away in Russia, as he’ll be sidelined for a number of weeks.
However, revealing that Mkhitaryan will miss at least the next three matches, Arsene Wenger stated he’s hopeful that the 29-year-old will be available for the Europa League final and is optimistic that his season will not come to a premature end.
Quoted by The Sun, Wenger said:
“He will not be available for Thursday and not for Newcastle next Sunday. And certainly not the week after against West Ham. He will miss these games for sure. He could still play at the end of the season.”
Arsenal are expected to qualify for the Europa League semi-finals, where they could face Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, and Mkhitaryan’s potential return for the final, should the Gunners qualify, is a major boost.
