Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud has been ruled out of Wednesday night’s Uefa Champions League play-off against Besiktas with a foot injury, manager Arsene Wenger confirmed.
Arsenal are awaiting the results of a second scan on Giroud’s ankle, amidst fears the France striker coud be sidelined for three months. A fuller assessment of how long Giroud will be out should come after he has seen a specialist.
“Olivier will not play against Besiktas and will see a specialist, then we’ll make an announcement of how long he’ll be out,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Giroud, 27, suffered the injury in the Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday, shortly after ensuring a share of the points by scoring Arsenal’s 90th-minute equaliser at Goodison Park.
He needed an extra scan to reveal the full extent of the damage once swelling in the injury, which hampered initial investigations, had gone down.
Wenger may now be forced to dip into the transfer market in search of a replacement if the Frenchman faces an extended spell on the sidelines.
“It can be [a long term injury]. We’ll see tomorrow. I don’t know [if it’s broken]. It’s sad for us,” Wenger said.
Wenger can still turn to Alexis Sanchez, Joel Campbell, Yaya Sanogo and Lukas Podolski as attacking options.
However, Sanogo has been out of action sidelined with a hamstring problem and looks certain to miss Wednesday night’s qualifying second leg.
Arsenal are favourites to progress at the Emirates Stadium, with the first leg having finished 0-0 in Turkey.
Podolski’s agent brushed aside reports that Juventus and Napoli have made offers to sign the Arsenal forward. The Germany international has been linked with a move to Serie A this summer.
Podolski, 29, did not feature against Everton, increasing speculation about his possible departure.
“I read in the newspapers that Juventus and Napoli were interested in Lukas,” Podolski’s agent, Ali Pektas, told sports website TuttoMercatoWeb. “But there has been no approach from either of those clubs.
“I don’t know if he will go to Italy in this transfer window. I can’t say anything for sure.
“The only certainty is that Lukas has a contract with Arsenal.”
Podolski, who is also a target of Turkish side Galatasaray, joined Arsenal from Cologne in the summer of 2012 and has two years left on his contract.
If Giroud’s injury keeps him on the sideline for any significant period of time and Arsenal sell Podolski, the club could face a striker shortage.
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'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
