David Luiz may require surgery on knee injury

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 04 April 2021

Arsenal defender David Luiz is facing the prospect of surgery in order to treat a recent knee injury, manager Mikel Arteta confirms.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that David Luiz could be forced to go under the knife to treat a recent knee injury.

The centre-back was ruled out of the Gunners' game with Liverpool after sustaining the problem, and his side fell to a 3-0 defeat to the reigning Premier League champions in his absence.

Arsenal did not initially reveal how serious Luiz's injury is, but Arteta has now conceded that the 33-year-old is expected to miss another few weeks, and surgery is a possible option.

Speaking to reporters after their defeat on Saturday, Arteta said: "There are a few possibilities - being a little bit more conservative on the treatment, or having to go through surgery.

"We are talking with the doctors right now to make the right decision on that, but it looks like he will be out for a few weeks at least.

"It depends on what decision we will take. If it's more conservative it will be short-term, if it's a little bit more radical what he needs, obviously it will take longer."

With Luiz out of contract with Arsenal in the summer, he may have played his final game in red and white if surgery rules him out for the rest of the season.

Arsenal also lost Kieran Tierney to a knee problem during the defeat to Liverpool, and Arteta is unsure how long the left-back's injury will sideline him for.