4th injury ends Arsenal loanee’s season | OneFootball

Albert Sambi Lokonga’s loan spell at Sevilla has come to a premature end after another injury setback, casting fresh doubt over his future.

Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Albert Sambi Lokonga’s season is over.

The Arsenal midfielder, on loan at Sevilla, has suffered his fourth muscle injury of the campaign and is now expected to miss the remainder of the La Liga season.

Sevilla confirmed that Lokonga has sustained an injury to the hamstring of his right leg, a recurrence of the same type of issue that has plagued his time in Spain since arriving in the summer.

The club medical report, published Tuesday, noted the setback and admitted he is unlikely to return before the season concludes.

Six games remain.

Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images

According to Mundo Deportivo and ABC Sevilla, this is the fourth muscular injury Lokonga has sustained since joining the club. Each has affected the same area – his hamstrings – with previous layoffs in July, September, and February.

The latest recurrence, described again as ‘myotendinous’ in nature (between the muscle and its tendon), effectively ends his season and casts serious doubt over any potential permanent transfer.

Sevilla have a €12 million option to buy, but Lokonga’s persistent injuries are understood to have significantly cooled interest.

Lokonga has missed 10 matches already due to injury and is now set to miss at least six more. Despite an early-season attempt to manage the recurring issues, including sending him to Qatar for specialist treatment, the problems have not been resolved.

Photo via Sevilla on Twitter

The club’s situation is not great with other key players, including Nianzou, Akor Adams, and Rubén Vargas, also been sidelined with muscular problems. Joaquín Caparrós, who recently took over in a caretaker capacity, is now relying heavily on academy players to fill out his matchday squads.

Lokonga, 25, joined Arsenal from Anderlecht in 2021 in a €17.5m deal but failed to secure a starting spot under Mikel Arteta. After spending last season on loan at Crystal Palace, his move to Sevilla was intended to relaunch his career in a more stable setting.

Instead, it has raised questions about his ability to stay fit at this level.

Arsenal are likely to sell Lokonga this summer if they can find a buyer with his Arsenal contract due to expire at the end of next season.