Arsenal: Will Knee Injuries Derail Emmanuel Frimpong's Career?

The news that Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong had suffered his second serious knee injury in the span of two years sends a foreboding omen.

In the immediate sense, his season is over. But the long-term ramifications may be the most troublesome.

Thus, the question must be raised as to whether the young Ghanaian will be forced to deal with repeated flare-ups for the rest of his career. And if so, is it worth keeping him?

Obviously, Frimpong showed little ill effects from the left knee injury that kept him out for most of 2010-11 when playing with Arsenal this season (he appeared in eight games).

During his time on loan with Wolverhampton Wanderers (he played in five games after joining the club this January), he became a regular in the first team and earned good reviews for his performances.

The tenacity and desire were still there. He didn't seem to be lacking for quickness or explosiveness. It was hoped that he would gain crucial Premier League experience while with Wolves that would serve him well for the rest of his Arsenal career.

His talent and ability to contribute at the highest level of competition are evident. Thus, the pressing issue becomes whether his talent will be choked out by his troublesome knees. If so, should he be cut loose?

There is a precedent for future setbacks where knees are concerned.

Chelsea midfielder and Frimpong's compatriot Michael Essien has a lengthy history of knee trouble himself, and just returned to first team action after his latest injury, which had kept him out for the first half of the 2011-12 season.

Essien, like Frimpong, had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during Chelsea's preseason training this past July. It was the third serious knee injury of his career to date (he had suffered previous injuries in 2008 and 2010, the latter forcing him to miss the 2010 World Cup).

He remained free of major injury during 2010-11, making 41 appearances for Chelsea—which ranked him fifth-most among first-team players. But in 2008-09 and 2009-10, he managed only 49 total appearances, a direct result of his troublesome knees.

Frimpong has two major knee injuries on his docket, a troublesome number at any age—even more so, considering he just turned 20 years old in January. While he will likely rehabilitate more quickly than Essien, who is 29, one worries that age may not be enough to save him.

Will these knee injuries begin a snowball effect, like we've now seen with Essien?

One hopes that Frimpong would be able to enjoy the prosperous and lengthy career his talent deserves, but nature may rip that plan, like it did his knee, to shreds.

And while cutting a player loose is never a pleasant business, Wenger was forced to acknowledge that after his own serious injury, Eduardo was never going to be the same player he once was. The naturalized Croatian's injury was different than Frimpong's, but the fact remained that he could no longer be counted upon to contribute in the maelstrom that is EPL competition. He simply couldn't hold up.

Eduardo's not the only example at Arsenal. Abou Diaby has never seemed right since a leg break succumbed almost five years ago now, suffering a repeated series of niggling injuries that have kept him from enjoying the stardom he once seemed sure to capture. The Frenchman remains at the club, but he spends most of his time convalescing.

Football is a cold business by nature; if a player can no longer prove his worth, he must be cut loose.

Frimpong is a battler by nature, and he will give his all for the club—in fact, I don't think there's anyone I'd like more to represent Arsenal. But if his career will be marginalized by injury, it may be both in his and the club's best interest to ply his trade in another league.

Arsenal have adequate cover in midfield, with Alex Song and Francis Coquelin serving as Frimpong's most immediate competitors for first-team action. He seemed third-choice to those two already—with two balky knees, will he slip even further from the fore?

I wish Frimpong all the best. There's no one I'd rather see succeed more. But I have an aching feeling that his best years might be most enjoyed elsewhere.