Arsenal’s Frimpong out for six to nine months

LONDON (AFP) – LONDON (AFP) – Arsenal’s promising young midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong will miss most of the season after suffering a knee ligament injury.

Frimpong, 18, tore ligaments while training with Arsenal reserves in Dublin, where the understudies are taking part in a friendly tournament.

The Ghana-born teenager, who moved to London when he was nine, had started in central midfield for Arsenal’s recent friendlies against AC Milan, Celtic and Legia Warsaw and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was confident he would make his competitive debut this season.

Speaking to Arsenal TV Online, Wenger said: “We have had another blow with Emmanuel Frimpong. He has done his cruciate in training. That is a massive blow.

“A cartilage is three to four weeks, but a cruciate like that one Frimpong did yesterday is six to nine months.

“I rate him highly and I still have a lot of faith in him, but we will miss him for six to nine months.”

Frimpong’s absence further reduces Wenger’s midfield options just a day after France international Samir Nasri was ruled out for a month following minor surgery on a knee injury.

Frimpong, 18, tore ligaments while training with Arsenal reserves in Dublin, where the understudies are taking part in a friendly tournament.

The Ghana-born teenager, who moved to London when he was nine, had started in central midfield for Arsenal’s recent friendlies against AC Milan, Celtic and Legia Warsaw and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was confident he would make his competitive debut this season.

Speaking to Arsenal TV Online, Wenger said: “We have had another blow with Emmanuel Frimpong. He has done his cruciate in training. That is a massive blow.

“A cartilage is three to four weeks, but a cruciate like that one Frimpong did yesterday is six to nine months.

“I rate him highly and I still have a lot of faith in him, but we will miss him for six to nine months.”

Frimpong’s absence further reduces Wenger’s midfield options just a day after France international Samir Nasri was ruled out for a month following minor surgery on a knee injury.