Arsenal will lose key midfielder Mohamed Elneny next January after he helped Egypt to all but guarantee their qualification for the 2017 African Cup of Nations, subsequently ruining any chance that Nigerian teammate Alex Iwobi have of featuring at the tournament.
Egypt beat Nigeria by one goal to nil on Tuesday meaning that they must avoid a 3-0 defeat in their next game to qualify for the competition, while Iwobi’s Nigeria failed to reach the well coveted tournament for the second successive time, having won it last in 2013 after a string of impressive Victor Moses performances.
The downside to Elneny’s success is that it means the north London side will now have to cope without him at their disposal for potentially up to a month, should they manage to go all the way.
Elneny has been a key component in the last month for the Gunners as their midfield options became stretched, with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla all missing through injury.
The 23-year-old has been so impressive for the north London side that he was awarded the March Player of the Month prize by the club amid impressive performances against Spurs and Barcelona.
