Arsenal midfielder recovering from reported punctured lung

Arteta hopeful vice-captain can return, but lung injury casts uncertainty over final weeks of campaign.

Jorginho is recovering from a reported punctured lung, but Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed the midfielder could still play again this season, despite the seriousness of the injury.

The 33-year-old suffered the injury during the 1-1 draw with Brentford on 12 April, when he was knocked off balance mid-air, Harry Kane-style, and landed awkwardly.

Initially described as a chest injury, the severity of the incident was unclear. But sources close to the club have now indicated, via the BBC, that the Italy international sustained a punctured lung, a condition that requires extreme care and prolonged monitoring.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match against Bournemouth, Arteta offered an update. “It got a bit more complicated than expected,” he said.

“He’s fine, he’s recovering well.”

Asked whether Jorginho could return before the season ends, he added: “I think so, if everything goes OK in the next week or so.”

Recovery from a punctured lung (also known as a pneumothorax) can take several weeks depending on the extent of the injury. It typically involves rest, oxygen therapy, and in some cases, the insertion of a chest tube to allow air to escape and the lung to re-expand.

Any return to physical activity is closely supervised due to the risk of recurrence or further complications.

For elite athletes, the timeline is often more conservative, as reinflation of the lung and full respiratory function must be confirmed before resuming intensive exertion.

Jorginho, whose contract expires this summer, has made 78 appearances for Arsenal since joining from Chelsea in January 2023. Though widely expected to leave at the end of the campaign, and already rumoured to be on his way to Flamengo in Brazil, with Arsenal agreeing to release him early, a final appearance could still be on the cards.

Meanwhile, Kai Havertz, who underwent surgery on a serious hamstring tear suffered in February, is also edging closer to a return.

Arteta said: “If everything goes the way it’s going at the moment, he will have a chance to play a few games before the end of the season.”

Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday, needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

With Premier League fixtures against Liverpool, Newcastle, and Southampton still to come, plus a possible Champions League final, Arteta will welcome any and all reinforcements.

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