Arsenal’s record signing Nicolas Pepe has left Ivory Coast’s training camp after failing to shake off an injury picked up before he joined the squad.
The 24-year-old starred in the Gunners’ 2-2 draw against Tottenham in last Sunday’s north London derby, before reuniting with the Elephants’ squad in France.
According to the Daily Mirror, Pepe was carrying an injury when he reported for international duty and he is now set for an early return to London Colney to continue his recovery.
The mercurial superstar will not feature for the Ivory Coast in upcoming friendly matches against Benin and Tunisia, but the injury he has suffered is not expected to keep him out of action for long.
The Mirror states that Pepe should be ready to feature for Arsenal when they take in a trip to Watford on September 15, as the Premier League resumes following the international break.
The Ivory Coast have released an official statement which confirms that they did not receive notification of Pepe’s injury until Wednesday evening, with Arsenal leaving him off their list of players away on international duty on their own website.
As per Sky Sports, Pepe signed for the Gunners for a club-record £72 million free from Lille on August 2, after months of speculation over his future.
The Ivorian has yet to score his first goal for Arsenal, but he has appeared in all four of the team’s matches at the start of the 2019-20 campaign, impressing with his raw pace and dribbling ability.
Unai Emery will need Pepe to be back to his best when his side arrives at Vicarage Road a week on Sunday, where they will be aiming to get back to winning ways after dropping points against Spurs and Liverpool.
