Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud fears he may have broken his foot and has been sent for a second scan.
And manager Arsene Wenger could well be forced to revive his interest in Loic Remy or scrap the £10million sale of Lukas Podolski if the French international striker’s concern proves correct.
Giroud, who sustained the injury during the closing stages of Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Everton, originally believed he could be fit for tomorrow’s make-or-break Champions League qualifier against Besiktas.
But Sportsmail understands the 27-year-old will miss at least the next two weeks, putting him out of the clash against Slaven Bilic’s side and Sunday’s visit to Leicester. Last night the worry emerged that he has suffered a broken foot, which would rule him out for months rather than weeks. An initial scan failed to clear up the extent of the damage and Giroud was sent for a second examination after the inflammation of the joint had subsided.
A long lay-off for Giroud, the club’s first-choice striker, would leave Arsenal desperately short of centre-forward options and force Wenger to revive interest in Queens Park Rangers striker Remy. He was close to joining earlier this summer, with Arsenal willing to meet his £8.5million release clause, but a refusal to match his £90,000-a-week wage demands saw the deal fall through.
Giroud’s injury could also force the club into a rethink over Podolski’s future.
The Germany forward wanted to leave the club in search of first-team football and Wenger has given him the green light to depart as long as a club meets his £10million asking price. But a serious injury to Giroud could yet see Podolski stay. He is wanted by Juventus, Wolfsburg and Galatasary.
Wenger willalso be without the suspended Aaron Ramsey and injured captain Mikel Arteta for Besiktas.– Daily Mail