James Olayinka is in a protective boot and appears to be back at Arsenal already, after picking up an injury on his Northampton debut.
Olayinka picked up an ankle injury in the latter stages of his debut against Scunthorpe on Tuesday.
At the time, it seemed like a knock that wasn’t even worth mentioning. After all, the midfielder completed the 90 minutes and ended the game as Man-of-the-Match. Manager Keith Curle suggested it was nothing too serious.
“The more you see James play, the more you will see that he will have knocks, bumps and bruises every time he plays – but so will a number of the opposition,” said Curle.
“He gets about the pitch and he wants to be hunting down the football and with that he’ll pick up bumps. It’s part and parcel of how he’s going to play. It’s something to be expected with him because he’s a very competitive player.”
Now it’s starting to look more serious though. Olayinka posted an update to his Instagram story with a picture of his ankle in a protective boot. He also appears to be back with Arsenal as they fully assess the problem.
It’s potentially a big blow after the 19-year-old made such a strong start. The Northampton Chronicle & Echo described him as an ‘instant hit’ with supporters, hailing his ‘boundless energy’, ‘vision and quality in possession’.
For now, we’ll remain hopeful the boot is just a precaution. The sooner we can see the midfielder back on the pitch again, the better.