Arsenal have confirmed that center back Rob Holding ruptured his ACL during their 2-2 draw at Manchester United on Wednesday.
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Holding, 23, went down clutching his left knee after a collision with Marcus Rashford in the first half of the game at Old Trafford and he will now undergo surgery to repair the damage.
The Bolton Wanderers product has been in sensational form in recent months under new Arsenal boss Unai Emery, with some calling for him to get a call-up to the England squad.
Per a statement released by the club, it is expected that Holding will be out for between 6-9 months.
“Rob will undergo surgery to repair this in the coming days. The rehabilitation process is expected to take between six to nine months. Everyone at the club will now be working as hard as we can to ensure Rob is back on the pitch as soon as possible.”
This is a cruel blow for Holding, and Arsenal, as Emery’s side have sorted out a settled back line in recent weeks and have improved defensively throughout the season under their new manager.
Holding’s ability to play out from the back and push on into midfield has been a main reason why Emery hasn’t missed the injured Laurent Koscielny. But as luck would have it for Arsenal, their captain and French star has just returned to full fitness after rupturing his Achilles at the end of last season and he will likely fill the void caused by Holding’s injury.
Koscielny, Mustafi and Sokratis will now be their go-to back three between now and the end of the season, as Holding’s promising 2018-19 campaign is all but over.
