Former Gunner injured 2 minutes into home debut for new club | OneFootball

Former Gunner Oleksandr Zinchenko picked up a seemingly serious injury just minutes into his first start for new club Ajax on Saturday.

Photo via Onzegodenzonen on Instagram

Arsenal completed the €1.5m sale of Oleksandr Zinchenko to Ajax in the January transfer window, cashing in on the left-back before his deal expired in June.

Zinchenko quickly joined the Ajax matchday squad for a game against AZ Alkmaar last week, coming on as a substitute in a 1-1 draw. He was then named in the starting lineup for a game against Fortuna Sittard on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the defender’s home debut for Ajax didn’t last long, as less than three minutes into the match he injured his knee in a clash with Dimitrios Limnios.

Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

The 29-year-old was immediately substituted, limping from the field with the assistance of medical staff supporting him on either side. He seemed to be in real pain as he came off, and manager Fred Grim was trying to stay optimistic amid concerns of a serious injury setback.

“At the moment, it’s not clear how serious Oleksandr Zinchenko’s injury is,” Grim said (via The S*n). “He will undergo an MRI scan tomorrow or the day after.

“Hopefully, we’ll know more soon and it won’t be too serious.”

Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

It’s obviously far from the start Zinchenko would have wanted at his new club, particularly given the genuine possibility he’ll now miss Ukraine’s vital World Cup qualifiers in late March.

Knee injuries can mean many months on the sidelines, which could even put Zinchenko’s involvement at the World Cup itself at risk. But if the problem turns out to be less serious, he may only face weeks out.

Everything now rides on the results of those MRI scans in the coming days.