Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has undergone successful knee surgery in Spain to treat his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Bellerin was carried off on a stretcher during Arsenal’s 2-0 Premier League win against Chelsea early in January with an injury that brought his season to an abrupt end.
The 23-year-old flew to Spain earlier this week to receive specialist treatment and has thanked the doctors that have treated him.
“Surgery = success,” he wrote on Twitter. “Big thank you to all the doctors and physios who worked so hard to get me ready for surgery and through it with such ease.”
The injury to Bellerin leaves Unai Emery with limited options in defence. Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Laurent Koscielny Rob Holding and Ainsley Maitland-Niles remain long-term injuries at the back.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is returning to training imminently while Danny Welbeck remains unlikely to play again this season.
A club statement said: “The rehabilitation process is expected to take between six to nine months and therefore rules Hector out of action for the remainder of this season.
“Everyone at the club will now be working as hard as we can to ensure Hector is back on the pitch as soon as possible next season.”
