Arsenal Goalkeeper Bernd Leno Stretchered Off Following Horror Injury Against Brighton

Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno looks set to miss the remainder of this season - and possibly a chunk of the next campaign, too - after suffering a horrific knee injury against Brighton on Saturday afternoon.

The German shot-stopper was involved in a collision with Seagulls forward Neal Maupay towards the end of the first half which left him screaming in pain on the turf and requiring immediate medical attention.

Leno was then stretchered off and replaced by Emiliano Martinez, and there was a sense of growing concern over the severity of the injury which the Gunners' number one had suffered. The score was level at the time of the incident, and it had been a fiercely-contested game from the off.

The injury stemmed from a high ball in the penalty area which the duo both competed for, but Maupay seemed to jump into the path of Leno, causing the shot-stopper to lose his balance and fall awkwardly as he hit the ground.

The 28-year-old goalkeeper was furious upon leaving the field, pointing aggressively and shouting in Maupay's direction while on the stretcher, laying the blame at the Frenchman's feet. The Brighton striker did not receive any form of punishment from the referee for the collision, and would go on to score the decisive goal in a disappointing 2-1 defeat for the Gunners.

After the match, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirmed to BT Sport that the injury 'doesn't look good', but refused to blame Maupay for his part in the incident when questioned over Leno's immediate reaction.

He said: "It doesn’t look good, but we don’t know anything yet.

"I don’t know. It’s too far from me. I haven’t seen the action. I always believe players never mean to hurt anybody."

Arsenal were handed a double blow in midweek, as duo Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari were both substituted after picking up knocks in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

And this fresh blow could have a damaging effect on their season, given that Leno has been a star performer in this struggling side.