Christos Tzolis injury update after Arsenal star 'refused to come off' after blow

Tzolis was forced off after just 18 minutes (Picture: AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

Arsenal have been handed another major injury scare after Christos Tzolis was forced off playing for Greece with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

The summer signing was forced off after just 18 minutes on Thursday night as Greece fought out a 2-2 draw with Netherlands in their Nations League clash in Thessaloniki.

Tzolis required treatment on the pitch, covering his face with his shirt as he lay stricken on the pitch.

Despite the initially worrying scenes, the winger appeared to be moving more comfortably after receiving treatment, suggesting he was eager to stay on the pitch.

Greece boss Ivan Jovanovic said post-match Tzolis initially refused to come off when he decided to take the player off as a precaution, hopeful it was only a minor issue.

‘How can I handle it, you tell me,’ Jovanovic said, per Sport24 report. ‘I’m his coach, I tell him to come out and he says, “I’m not coming out”.

‘How can I handle it? So, this is something that can characterise the Greek and all these kids who come to play for the national team regardless of age.

Tzolis initially refused to come off (Picture: AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)

‘I think it was a scene that everyone saw, those who were nearby. I told him to get out, because I suspected that he wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t felt something. We don’t know how much damage was done today, but I hoped it was just a twitch, something temporary.

‘I didn’t have any reason to be honest, because these aren’t qualifiers, they’re the Nations League, first and foremost I wanted to protect the player. He didn’t want to stay near me to go out, instead he went to defend in the corner. And then he went out. These are our players.’

Asked whether it was his decision to take off Tzolis or if he was acting on advice of the medial staff, Jovanovic added: ‘A coach’s decisions regarding substitutions and the suspected injury of a player, he does not make decisions without a medical opinion. We have doctors, and very good ones at that.

Tzolis was spotted chatting toArsenal teammate Jurrien Timber (Picture: Koops/DeFodi Images/Shutterstock)

‘So when a doctor considers that this thing, as he and Christos understand it, is something that is not for the player to continue playing. Certainly first as a coach I have to take the decision to replace the player, because it was a muscular issue.