Laurent Koscielny: Arsenal Defender Withdraws From France Friendlies With Achilles Injury

Arsenal's misfortune with injury during the international break has continued after defender Laurent Koscielny was withdrawn from the friendlies against Portugal and Armenia with a long-term achilles injury.

The 29-year-old has spent three days with the French national team before a decision was taken in consultation with manager Didier Deschamps to omit Koscielny from the double-header.

Koscielny has played in six of Arsenal seven Premier League games this season but faces an anxious wait upon returning to the club's London Colney training base before learning whether he will be passed fit for the visit of Hull City on 18 October.

In a statement confirming the withdrawal of Koscielny, the French football association claimed the Gunners centre-back had been playing with damage to both achilles tendons for a number of weeks and despite prolonged rest was not fit to play for his country.

"Since joining [France in] Clairefontaine on Monday, October 6, Laurent Koscielny has been suffering with chronic tendinitis of both achilles tendons for several months," a FFF statement read.

"Without noting any favourable changes for three days, and after discussion with the player and Franck Le Gall, doctor of the France team, Didier Deschamps decided to release Laurent Koscielny to his club."

The news comes less than 24 hours after Arsenal learned that record signing Mesut Ozil will be out until 2015 with ligament damage to his left knee, suffered prior to joining up with the Germany national team this week.

A scan on Wednesday revealed the full extent of the damage which will see Ozil miss at least the next 10 weeks of action and potentially beyond. Arsenal are understood to be disappointed that Ozil's injury prognosis was revealed publically before his return to north London.

Ozil joins Olivier Giroud and Mathieu Debuchy as Arsenal's long-term injury absentees while Theo Walcott, Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, Yaya Sanogo and Serge Gnabry are all out with minor fitness problems.