Mohamed Elneny Out for 3 Weeks After Ankle Injury During Arsenal vs. West Ham

Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny is set to miss three weeks with an ankle injury picked up against West Ham United on Sunday.

The Egypt international was stretchered off in the first half, and there were concerns he had suffered a serious injury.

However, Egypt assistant coach Mahmoud Fayez said on Monday he has spoken to Elneny, who should be back in three weeks, per Goal's Chris Wheatley: 

Elneny has also given an update on his injury and said he will try to return before the end of the season, via Twitter:

Arsenal confirmed on Monday the nature of the injury and the current situation in a statement on their official website: 

"Further to assessments and scans on Sunday and Monday, we can confirm that Mo Elneny has sustained ligament damage to his left ankle. We are hoping that Mo will available for Arsenal again this season and we are keeping in regular contact with the Egyptian Football Association."

The news will be a boost to club and country as there were initial concerns the problem might jeopardise his involvement in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, per ESPN FC's Mattias Karen:

Elneny has been in good form and is a key player for Egypt, who will be keen to have him available for the summer tournament. In October, the Pharaohs qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1990, sparking huge celebrations.

Hector Cuper's side will face hosts Russia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in the group stage and will hope they can make it through to the knockout phase. The team's star man is Mohamed Salah, who has enjoyed a stunning campaign at Liverpool and will hope to make his mark on the world stage.

Elneny could still have a role to play in Arsenal's end to the season, with their campaign now resting on the UEFA Europa League. The midfielder will miss both legs of the semi-final against Atletico Madrid (the home one is Thursday), but he should be available if they were to make it to the final on May 16.

The injury also rules the 25-year-old out of Arsenal's next Premier League clash against Manchester United on Sunday. After that, the Gunners face Burnley, Leicester City and Huddersfield Town, with Elneny facing a battle to return to Premier League action before the end of the season on May 13.