“It’s the worst feeling to be fair” – Oleksandr Zinchenko explains why he missed Arsenal friendly against Lyon

Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has revealed that he missed his side's friendly against Olympique Lyonnais on December 8 due to muscle tightness.

The Gunners came out 3-0 winners in the Dubai Cup fixture at the Al-Maktoum Stadium. They also won a bonus point as they beat Lyon 2-1 in the penalty shootout.

However, Zinchenko missed the game, with Kieran Tierney starting as the left-back. The Ukrainian fullback has now stated that he was absent due to muscle tightness and that he is working hard to get back to full fitness. He told Sky Sports:

"You know, I have a little muscle tightness, but I’m nearly there, so don’t worry about this. It’s the worst feeling to be fair… for every footballer to be out of the team.

"And yeah, in the last couple of months, I was struggling a lot but I hope everything is in the past already. And now, I’m fully focused and so excited for the rest of the season."

Arsenal signed Zinchenko from Manchester City for £32 million in the summer. While he had a promising start to the campaign, multiple injury issues have often kept the fullback out of action.

He has made just nine appearances across competitions for the Gunners, registering one assist.

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Oleksandr Zinchenko on Arsenal teammate Gabriel Jesus' injury

Arsenal also signed striker Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City for £45 million in the summer. He has been a key figure for the Gunners, scoring five goals and providing seven assists in 20 games across competitions.

However, Jesus picked up a knee injury while turning out for Brazil at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He has undergone surgery and could be out of action for around three months.

On the striker's injury, Zinchenko said:

"I said already that we are all behind him. We are all supporting him. Of course it’s a big miss for our team, and the impact what he’s doing for the club is amazing. I know him for a while – he’s a big warrior and I’m 100% sure that he’ll be back much, much stronger."

Jesus has helped Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table, where they have a five-point lead over second-placed City. They have also reached the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League.

Mikel Arteta's side will next face AC Milan and Juventus in the friendlies on December 13 and 17 respectively. They will resume their Premier League campaign by hosting West Ham United on Boxing Day (December 26).