Source: PA
Frimpong suffers cruciate blow
Arsenal have been dealt a second successive injury blow with the news promising midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong will be out for the best part of the season after tearing knee ligaments.
The 18-year-old - born in Ghana but who moved to London when he was nine - suffered the injury while training with the reserves in Dublin where the squad are taking part in a friendly tournament which also includes Shamrock Rovers and Manchester United's second string.
The news was confirmed just a day after Arsenal announced Samir Nasri would be sidelined for a month following minor surgery on his injured knee.
Frimpong, who helped Arsenal Under-18s win the Premier Academy League title last season, had started alongside fellow teenager Jack Wilshere in central midfield for each of Arsenal's final three pre-season friendlies against AC Milan, Celtic and Legia Warsaw.
Boss Arsene Wenger had been set to give the youngster more chances to impress and admitted it was a big disappointment.
Speaking to Arsenal TV Online, Wenger said: "We have had another blow with Emmanuel Frimpong. He has done his cruciate in training. That is a massive blow. A cartilage is three to four weeks but a cruciate like that one Frimpong did is six to nine months. I rate him highly and I still have a lot of faith in him but we will miss him for six to nine months."
