Mikel Arteta: 'Granit Xhaka escaped an even worse injury'

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes that Granit Xhaka was fortunate not to suffer a more serious injury during last weekend's victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

The Switzerland captain returned to the first XI after serving a three-game Premier League suspension against Spurs and played 82 minutes of that 3-1 win before being forced off injured after a collision with Lucas Moura.

Arsenal confirmed on Wednesday that Xhaka would be out for at least three months with a 'significant' knee ligament injury, but Arteta is thankful that the 29-year-old did not suffer a devastating cruciate ligament rupture.

Speaking to the press ahead of Saturday's game with Brighton & Hove Albion, Arteta said: "It's a significant injury. He probably escaped an even worse injury than he could have had, because that action for a cruciate injury is a tricky one.

"His mentality is top, he knows what he needs to do now. Hopefully he can escape surgery as well, which is something really important. He is a big, big loss. Other players need to step in."

With Xhaka sidelined for the remainder of 2021, Albert Sambi Lokonga or Ainsley Maitland-Niles will likely fill in for the Swiss lynchpin alongside Thomas Partey.