Danny Welbeck injury: Arsenal players rally behind striker

Arsenal 0 Sporting Lisbon 0

Arsenal have qualified for the last-32 of the Uefa Europa League but the serious injury sustained by striker Danny Welbeck overshadowed proceedings at the Emirates Stadium.

In the 25th minute of last night’s goalless draw with Sporting Welbeck landed awkwardly on his ankle after jumping for a header. The 27-year-old, who was yesterday named in the England squad, was taken off on a stretcher and went straight to hospital.

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After the match Arsenal boss Unai Emery said that the striker is likely to have broken his ankle. “It’s the worst news, this injury,” said Emery. “It’s clear that we are with him in these minutes. He was working well and he was having a good match. He had some chances too.

“His injury was with the mentality of the players. They [saw] it was a big injury. When you are playing football, when you are playing in competitive matches, it can happen. You don’t want it to happen but this is our profession.

“We think it’s a serious injury. This [could] be a break of something in the ankle.”

It is the latest setback for Welbeck whose career at Manchester United and Arsenal has been plagued by injury.

A number of Arsenal players sent messages of support on social media while Welbeck’s former teammate Santi Cazorla wrote on Instagram: “Get well soon my friend @dannywelbeck. These are the worst things in football but I know you are strong and you will come back, you deserve the best my man.”

Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi told The Daily Telegraph: “It’s very mentally challenging and unfortunately for Danny he’s had a few. We wish him all the best.”

How the football world reacted to Welbeck’s injury