Arsenal Defender Laurent Koscielny Faces 6 Months on Sidelines After Achilles Surgery

​​Arsenal and France defender Laurent Koscielny will be out for around six months, meaning he will miss the first months of the 2018/19 ​Premier League season.

The Frenchman picked up an achilles injury during ​Arsenal's Europa League defeat to ​Atletico Madrid last Thursday and the Gunners confirmed over the weekend that the 32-year-old would miss the 2018 World Cup.

The full picture was unknown but Koscielny has since undergone surgery and Sky Sports News confirmed the expected length of his absence, with Arsene Wenger adding that a return to first team action is unlikely until December.

Koscielny suffered the injury early in the game at the Wanda Metropolitano as he went down off the ball and Diego Costa called for medical assistance.

Buying a centre back is likely to be among the top priorities for Arsenal's next manager, with the Gunners also losing the retiring Per Mertesacker this summer. 

If the Gunners concede two more goals in their remaining matches at Leicester and Huddersfield it will be their worst defensive record ever in a 38-game Premier League season.

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France manager Didier Deschamps said that it was hugely disappointing that Koscielny would be absent for the World Cup.

"I am really very sad for Laurent, because this World Cup was also a very important moment for him in his career," said Deschamps, quoted by the Independent.

"I wish him a lot of strength in his comeback, because I'm sure he still has some great things to come."