Ivory Coast and Trabzonspor have suffered a big blow ahead of upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Mozambique and Cameroon after striker Gervinho was ruled out for six months.
Gervinho picked up a season-ending injury in Trabzonspor’s Turkish Super Lig clash against Rizespor on Friday.
The former Parma player will also miss 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals that are set to be held in Cameroon early next year.
A source close to the Turkish club doctors has confirmed that striker Gervinho will be out of action for at least five to six months.
“Our team has been dealt a blow with Gervinho ruled out of the rest of the season due to an injury. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament and the outlook is not quite good,” he said.
“The estimated return to play should be about five to six months and might be early because of our experience working with such injuries.”
Gervinho was stretched out of the match on the 12th minute and was rushed to the hospital where he still is receiving treatment.
The former Arsenal forward was making his sixth appearance in the Turkish top-flight for the Black Sea Storm and has so far scored two goals and an assist in nine league games so far.
Gervinho joined Trabzonspor in June after getting relegated from the Italian top flight with Parma.
The Ivorian international scored five goals in 27 appearances for Parma in the 2020/2021 campaign but could not prevent them from dropping down to Serie B.
He has become a journeyman since leaving Lille for Arsenal in the summer of 2011, turning out for the likes of AS Roma and Hebei China Fortune before joining the Gialloblu in 2018.
