Big blow for Arsenal as summer signing from Deportivo will be out until Christmas after limping off during EFL Cup tie

Arsenal striker Lucas Perez [PHOTO: COURTESY]

Big blow for Arsenal as summer signing from Deportivo will be out until Christmas after limping off during EFL Cup tie

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has confirmed striker Lucas Perez will be out of action for eight weeks.

The summer signing from Deportivo, 28, limped off during the 2-0 EFL Cup win over Reading and the Gunners boss has revealed he has damaged ankle ligaments.

He has only started one Premier League game so far – against Southampton in September – after struggling to break into the first-team at the Emirates.

His loss leaves Arsenal short of cover up front as they look to continue their fine start to the season.

Wenger said: “We have lost Perez for a while an ankle injury, hopefully he’ll be recovered but he’ll be six to eight weeks out. Giroud is back available.”

But the Frenchman was raging with Reading’s tackling during the cup tie – and accused the Championship side of ‘deliberately kicking’ the Spaniard.

He continued: “He’s absolutely gutted because it’s an injury coming from nowhere and a stupid one. It was a kick, a deliberate kick.

“It’s very frustrating because he worked very hard to get there. Now he’s close. It was not needed.”