EPL: Arsenal's Bellerin out for season with knee injury

Arsenal right back Héctor Bellerin will be sidelined for six to nine months after sustaining a cruciate knee ligament injury in Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League win over Chelsea, according to British media reports.

Bellerin, who was making his first start after returning from a calf injury, went down clutching his knee while challenging for the ball in the second half and was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

The injury to the 23-year-old Spaniard is another blow to manager Unai Emery, who had already lost defender Rob Holding for the rest of the season to a similar knee problem last month.

The Spanish coach said he had players to fill in for Bellerin and was unlikely to dip into the transfer market to sign a replacement, having previously said he could only take players on loan in the January transfer window.