Arsenal face wing shortage as Tzolis sidelined for weeks
Arsenal winger Christos Tzolis will miss several weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury while representing Greece in the Nations League, the club confirmed on Thursday. The 24‑year‑old was forced off after 18 minutes of the 2‑2 draw with the Netherlands in Thessaloniki.
£34 million move from Club Brugge
The winger arrived at the Gunners in July, completing a £34 million transfer from Club Brugge. The deal marked Arsenal’s biggest summer spending on a forward since 2022. Since joining, he has contributed two assists in seven appearances across all competitions, signalling a promising start in north London.
Injury timeline and recovery outlook
Tzolis underwent an initial scan on Friday, after which sources close to the Greek national side told Metro the hamstring problem would keep him out for roughly two to three weeks. He left the Greece camp and is set to fly back to London on Saturday, just 24 hours before Greece face Germany on Sunday. The injury was sustained during the 2‑2 draw with the Netherlands in Thessaloniki on Thursday night.
Should the recovery take the full three weeks, Arsenal will be without Tzolis for Premier League games against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, as well as Champions League ties with Lille and Bayern Munich. Those matches represent crucial points in both domestic and European campaigns. A potential return is earmarked for the home league clash with Everton on 24 October, offering a chance to regain match rhythm.
Greece manager Ivan Jovanovic said he had to intervene, insisting the winger leave the field after sensing the injury. “How do I handle it? I’m his coach, I tell him to go out and he says ‘I’m not going out’,” the coach explained, adding that he wanted to protect the player despite the Nations League not being a qualifier. Jovanovic noted the incident was witnessed by many, describing it as a display of the ‘Greek mentality’ among young players.
He added that the exact extent of the hamstring damage was still unclear, hoping it was merely a temporary twitch. “We don’t know how big the damage is today, but I hoped it was just a twitch, something temporary,” he said, stressing his priority was the player’s long‑term health rather than immediate match concerns.
Arsenal are expected to carry out additional examinations to determine the full severity of the injury before confirming his fitness for the upcoming fixtures. The club’s medical team will monitor his progress closely, aiming to have him ready for the October clash if recovery proceeds as hoped. Separately, Metro noted Arsenal’s interest in a £58 million target from Manchester United, underscoring the club’s active summer market.