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Leno leaves match on stretcher, Arteta says injury 'doesn't look good'

MIKE HEWITT / AFP / Getty

Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno could be set for a significant spell on the sidelines after he was forced to leave Saturday's first half at Brighton & Hove Albion with an apparent knee injury.

Leno landed awkwardly when he caught the ball while under pressure from Neal Maupay. The German appeared to direct some pointed words at the Brighton striker as he left the pitch on a stretcher.

Emiliano Martinez was brought on as Leno's replacement and conceded both goals in a surprise 2-1 defeat.

"It doesn't look good, but we don't know anything yet," Arteta told BT Sport about Leno's injury after the match.

The Gunners already had a rough time with injuries when they returned from hiatus on Wednesday. Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari were both withdrawn during Wednesday's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City due to ankle issues, joining Calum Chambers, Cedric Soares, Lucas Torreira, and Sokratis Papastathopoulos in the treatment room.

Leno, one of Arsenal's most reliable players this season, could be out of commission for some time. The shot-stopper easily collected the ball ahead of Maupay, but the Seagulls frontman still challenged Leno in an aerial duel.

Maupay wasn't punished by referee Martin Atkinson for the incident and went on to notch the game's winning goal in the 95th minute.

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