Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has suffered another knee injury which has ruled him out of Euro 2016 as it will sideline him for up to two months.
The England international suffered his initial setback in February during the Champions League game with Barcelona at the Emirates, but he had hoped to return in the closing stages of the campaign.
However, Arsene Wenger has now ruled that possibility out and has confirmed that the 22-year-old will not be available for selection by Roy Hodgson for his Euro 2016 squad.
“There is no chance,” Wenger told the media, as reported by Sky Sports.
“I had a conversation with Alex and with our medical team and they told me he will back in July. He was out for a while and was not overloaded with games.
“You want a guy of 22 years of age to go to the European Championships, so it is very sad.”
The French tactician went on to concede that Oxlade-Chamberlain had in fact been closing in on a return prior to the new setback, and so it will come as a bitter blow to the Arsenal man as he would have undoubtedly hoped to get back into contention for the England squad.
It is also a blow for the 22-year-old in the sense that it will prevent him from silencing his doubters in the last few weeks of the campaign, with growing suggestions that he could be heading for the exit door at the Emirates this summer, with ESPN FC noting last month that Manchester United were even interested.
It remains to be seen whether or not Wenger decides to keep faith in the player he signed from Southampton in 2011, although the England star has been disappointing this season, scoring just two goals and providing two assists in 33 appearances in all competitions prior to suffering his injury.