Sporting Clube de Portugal’s William Carvalho will be out of action for three months – in what could be a huge blow to Arsenal.
In a statement on the Primeira Liga outfit’s official Facebook page, the club revealed that the midfielder, while feeling no physical pain to suggest that there may be any problem, has been diagnosed with a fractured tibia.
The injury, the statement read, is likely to have been picked up at this summer’s under-21 European Championships, and Sporting expressed their frustration that the fracture had gone unnoticed by medical staff at the tournament – suggesting that the news has certainly come as a shock to all.
According to the report, Carvalho will be sidelined for 10-12 weeks, and will not only miss the start of the 2015-16 campaign, but is likely to see his chances of moving to the Emirates hit significant doubt.
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Arsene Wenger was linked with the 23-year-old last summer [via talkSPORT], and reports have suggested that the French manager may be set to finally make a serious move for his signature a year later.
After missing out on Morgan Schneiderlin – who signed for Manchester United at the beginning of this week [via BBC Sport] – the Gunners’ interest in the Portugal international may have intensified.
According to the Daily Star, Schneiderlin’s Old Trafford transfer saw Carvalho move to the top of Wenger’s wish list, and the English newspaper stated that the 65-year-old was prepared to meet the holding midfielder’s £20m price-tag.
Arsenal, however, may have to turn their attentions elsewhere this summer.