Loanee Alex Kirk is returning to Arsenal for treatment as he now faces up to three months out with a suspected ankle fracture.

The Daily Record report that Alex Kirk faces up to three months on the sidelines with a suspected fracture of his ankle, after he was stretchered off in the closing minutes of Ayr United’s 2-2 draw with Inverness.

The report adds that Kirk will now return to London for treatment and rehabilitation with the Arsenal medical staff.

“It’s a sore one as Alex has had a real impact and settled into the group fantastically well,” United boss Lee Bullen said.

“The injury looked so innocuous at the time as he just fell to the turf when the ball came in.

“He’ll be properly assessed down the road and we’re hopeful he’ll be back playing in two to three months.”

Kirk had quietly been performing very well with Ayr United this season.

The centre-back often earns the praise of supporters for his performances, and he was on a run of eight consecutive league starts after he made the United lineup on Saturday against Inverness.

In the opening four and a half months of the campaign, Kirk has made 14 appearances, spending 1,170 minutes on the pitch.

The defender has two goals and two assists in that time, all of which came in the last six games, so he was in excellent form before this injury, helping his team to the top of the Scottish Championship.

They’ll now have to keep that form going without him, at least for a couple of months.