Oleksandr Zinchenko joined Ajax from Arsenal on the final day of the winter transfer window in hopes of getting playing time, but he suffered a major setback in the Netherlands.
Zinchenko played 14 minutes in Ajax’s match against AZ Alkmaar last week, and then the coach decided to start him in the match against Fortuna Sittard last Saturday.
Just six minutes into the game, the player left the field with a knee injury. Medical tests confirmed that his season is over.
Dutch media outlets confirm that the Ukrainian international suffered a serious knee ligament injury and will be sidelined until at least the start of next season.
Zinchenko will be ineligible to play for Ukraine should they qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Andriy Lunin and his teammates are scheduled to face Sweden in March in the European playoff semi-final. If they win, Ukraine will then face the winner of the Poland-Albania match on March 31 in a World Cup qualifier.
The 29-year-old Zinchenko has made 75 international appearances for his country, scoring 12 goals.
