Oleksandr Zinchenko out for rest of season after suffering devastating injury two minutes into home debut with Ajax

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Oleksandr Zinchenko has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a serious injury on his first home appearance for Dutch giants Ajax. Zinchenko was named in the starting XI for the Eredivisie side for the first time since his arrival from Arsenal at the start of February but his full debut was cut short as he was forced off with just minutes on the clock.

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What happened to Zinchenko?

Zinchenko injured his left knee with just two-and-a-half minutes on the clock in Ajax's eventual 4-1 win over Fortuna Sittard on Saturday night following a clash with Dimitrios Limnios. The player needed treatment on the field before being helped off the pitch and into the dressing room. Fred Grim's side went on to ease to victory following Zinchenko's withdrawal thanks to goals from Jorthy Mokio, Rayane Bounida and a Mika Godts brace.

However, the 29-year-old's early withdrawal marred the resounding home success, with Grim admitting after the victory that he didn't know the severity of the injury.

"At the moment, it’s not clear how serious Oleksandr Zinchenko’s injury is," the Ajax boss said. "He will undergo an MRI scan tomorrow or the day after. Hopefully, we’ll know more soon and it won’t be too serious."

Zinchenko reportedly took a hefty pay cut to sign for Ajax in a bid to keep his World Cup hopes alive as he looks to captain Ukraine in North America this summer, but there are concerns that he will now miss the tournament entirely provided Ukraine reach the showpiece event.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Ajax issue Zinchenko update

Ajax have now issued an update on Zinchenko's injury and confirmed he will undergo surgery: "Oleksandr Zinchenko has been ruled out for an extended period. The defender suffered a knee injury last weekend in the early stages of the home match with Fortuna Sittard at the Johan Cruijff ArenA. Examination at the hospital has shown that surgery is required. This will take place in the near future. The 29-year-old Ukraine international will then face a lengthy rehabilitation period, which means he will not play again this season."

Move to Ajax ended three-and-a-half year association with Arsenal

Zinchenko left Arsenal to move to Ajax on a short-term deal having struggled for game time during a forgettable loan spell with Nottingham Forest earlier this season. The Ukraine international started just four league games for the Tricky Trees due to injury, the most recent of which came in a 2-0 home loss to Everton at the end of December.

The move to Ajax ended Zinchenko's three-and-a-half year stint with Arsenal having joined the Gunners from Manchester City in 2022. At the time of his move to the Amsterdam giants, Zinchenko posted a farewell message to supporters on his official Instagram page.

"To the Gunners," Zinchenko started. "I will never forget the way you welcomed me. Still remember the goosebumps I got at the first game after hearing your 'Always beliiiiiieeeve'.

"I couldn't even dream about it. From the deepest place in my heart I would like to say a massive thank you for everything that you have done for me and my family. To the coaching staff, thank you for the opportunity to be a small part of this amazing club.

"To the players, thank you for the priceless experience, fantastic memories and becoming friends for life. To all the staff, thank you for your help and for looking after me and my family.

"And of course to the fans, for love, support and criticism which we as a players need to accept and work even harder. I just want to wish you all the best and hope you achieve everything what ever you wish.

"Once a Gunner always a Gunner. Thank you. @arsenal [love heart emoji]."

What next for Zinchenko?

Zinchenko will now go under the knife and faces a significant time out of the game which means his time at Ajax is over and he'll also miss Ukraine's World Cup play-off against Sweden next month. The winner of the game will face either Poland and Albania in their bid to book their spot Stateside.