£34m Arsenal signing forced off after just 18 minutes for Greece

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Arsenal's injury list could be about to grow again after Christos Tzolis was forced off inside 18 minutes of Greece's Nations League meeting with the Netherlands in Thessaloniki on Thursday night.

The winger had already thought he had opened the scoring, getting the better of Arsenal team-mate Jurrien Timber before drilling a low finish beyond the goalkeeper, only for the effort to be chalked off for offside against Vangelis Pavlidis.

Moments later came the far bigger concern. Tzolis went down with what appeared to be a hamstring problem and received treatment on the pitch with his shirt and hands pulled up over his face. He was unable to continue and was replaced by Giorgos Masouras in the 18th minute.

An anxious wait in north London

Arsenal will now await news on the severity of the issue. Tzolis has made a strong start to life in north London since his £34million move from Club Brugge in July, registering four assists in his first eight appearances in all competitions and starting all five of Arsenal's Premier League fixtures so far this season.

The former Norwich man was signed to add directness and end product from wide areas, and he has been a regular from the opening weekend. Any extended absence would remove a player who has quickly become part of Mikel Arteta's first-choice setup.

There was better news for the Gunners elsewhere on Thursday evening. Captain Martin Odegaard was passed fit to start for Norway against Wales in Cardiff after the ankle issue he picked up in the defeat to Portugal, and he immediately provided a superb assist for Oscar Bobb's early opener.

Arsenal's growing absentee list

Tzolis joins a lengthy group of Arsenal players with fitness concerns heading into the resumption of club football. Declan Rice withdrew from Thomas Tuchel's England squad last week following the 3-0 loss at Brighton, while Ezri Konsa was an unused substitute in England's 2-0 win over the Czech Republic due to a knock sustained against Spain, though he could start in Croatia this weekend.

Kai Havertz returned early from Germany duty after suffering a hamstring injury against the Netherlands, and Ben White was unavailable for England selection because of a groin problem. Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie have also been managing injuries.

William Saliba, meanwhile, remains sidelined with a back injury. As reported by the Evening Standard, fresh reports in France suggest the defender could be targeting a return around November.

Arsenal return to Premier League action against Leeds next weekend, with the club's medical staff set to assess Tzolis once he reports back from international duty.