Ex-Arsenal youngster suffers knee injury ahead of World Cup | OneFootball

Former Arsenal youngster Marcelo Flores is waiting on tests after suffering what appeared to be a serious knee injury just weeks before the World Cup.

Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images

Marcelo Flores faces an anxious wait over his World Cup hopes after the former Arsenal academy player suffered what appears to be a serious knee injury while playing for Tigres.

The injury comes only weeks before the tournament, and just a day after Flores had been named in the Canada squad.

According to ESPN, the winger went down after his foot appeared to catch in the turf as he dribbled inside the opposition box.

He was unable to put weight on his leg and had to be helped from the pitch before being put in a leg brace.

Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images

Tigres coach Guido Pizarro offered little reassurance after the match, saying “Marcelo’s outlook is not encouraging” and that the player felt his knee “gave out”.

Tests are still required to determine the full severity of the injury, but the timing could hardly be worse.

Flores’ international future had already been the subject of a long-running story. He initially represented Mexico before filing a FIFA one-time switch to play for Canada.

Born in Canada to a Mexican father, he was eligible for both nations and had been set to represent Canada at the World Cup.

For Arsenal supporters, Flores remains a familiar name from Hale End.

He joined the academy from Ipswich Town in 2019 and quickly became one of the club’s more talked-about prospects, earning a place in The Guardian’s “Next Generation” list and training regularly with the first team under Mikel Arteta.

Flores signed his first professional contract in 2020 and was named on the bench for Arsenal’s Premier League match against Crystal Palace in April 2022, though he never made a competitive senior appearance for the club.

He moved to Tigres UANL in 2023 for €815k.

Photo via Arsenal Academy on Twitter

The Flores family has a strong football background. His father, Rubén Flores, is a former professional and coach, while his sisters Silvana and Tatiana both came through Arsenal’s women’s setup before moving on to Chelsea and Tigres Femenil respectively.