Oleksandr Zinchenko to Miss Remainder of Season Due to Knee Injury

Ajax has disclosed that Oleksandr Zinchenko will miss the rest of the season following a significant knee injury sustained on his home debut.

The former Arsenal player, aged 29, was forced to exit just six minutes into the match against Fortuna Sittard on Saturday.

Zinchenko, who transferred to Ajax earlier this month for a fee of £1.3 million, concluded a three-and-a-half-year journey with Arsenal. Before joining Ajax, the Ukrainian international had been on loan at Nottingham Forest for the first part of this season but only made 10 appearances.

After debuting for Ajax as a substitute in a previous match against AZ Alkmaar, Zinchenko received his first start against Sittard. Unfortunately, he was injured within the first three minutes of the game, having gone down with a left knee injury, necessitating assistance off the field.

Ajax has confirmed that their latest signing will need surgery. In a statement released on Monday, the Dutch club stated, "Oleksandr Zinchenko has been ruled out for an extended period. The defender suffered a knee injury in the opening phase of the home match with Fortuna Sittard at the Johan Cruijff ArenA."

"Hospital examinations have confirmed that surgery is necessary. This procedure is expected to take place soon. The 29-year-old Ukraine international will face a lengthy rehabilitation period, preventing him from playing for the remainder of the season."

Additionally, Zinchenko will be absent from Ukraine's World Cup play-off matches in the coming month, and should his team advance, he is likely to miss the tournament itself.