Hector Bellerin has thanked Arsenal fans for their ‘love’ after a serious knee injury ruled him out for up to nine months. The Spanish defender collapsed in agony during Arsenal’s impressive victory over Chelsea on Saturday and appeared to be in tears as he was stretchered off with a knee problem. On Tuesday, Arsenal confirmed Bellerin, who had only recently returned from an injury lay-off, ruptured his ACL and could be sidelined for up to nine months.
But, speaking about the injury for the first time, Bellerin said he was ‘positive’ and ready for his long recovery. ‘There are no obstacles in life you can’t get over,’ he posted on social media. ‘Been a difficult couple of days but I’m positive and ready to take whatever challenge comes my way.
‘Thank you so much for the love and messages, you are incredible.’ In a statement released shortly before Bellerin’s message, Arsenal said: ‘We can confirm that Hector has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee. ‘Hector will undergo surgery to repair this in the coming days. ‘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.’
