UK Edition
Arsenal handed blow as Alexandre Lacazette receives additional two-match Europa League ban
Alexandre Lacazette will miss both legs of Arsenal’s round of 16 Europa League tie against Rennes after Uefa handed him a further two-match ban for the red card he was shown against Bate Borisov.
Lacazette was given a straight red card in Belarus last week for throwing his elbow into the face of Bate Aleksandar Filipovic.
The French striker was therefore unavailable for Thursday’s comfortable 3-0 victory over Bate, and Uefa have now decided to extend his ban to include the upcoming matches against French side Rennes.
It represents a major blow for Arsenal and Unai Emery, who view winning the Europa League as a genuine pathway to Champions League football next season.
Lacazette is the club’s second top scorer this season, with 12 goals. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has 18 goals this campaign, but no other Arsenal player has struck more than five times under Emery. Arsenal’s third highest scorer is still Danny Welbeck, who has not played since he suffered a long-term injury in early November.
The loss of Lacazette will complicate a tie that otherwise appears to be favourable for Arsenal, not least because of the short distance that Emery’s side will have to travel. The French side are currently 11th in Ligue 1, where they have been having an inconsistent season.
Arsenal were originally scheduled to be playing away from home in the second leg, but the fixtures have been reversed by Uefa because Chelsea were due to play against Dynamo Kiev at Stamford Bridge on the same night as Arsenal’s match at the Emirates.
The meeting with Rennes will provide a reunion with Hatem Ben Arfa for Emery, who fell out with the former Newcastle United player during their time together at Paris Saint-Germain. Ben Arfa is so unhappy with the treatment he got from PSG that he has filed a lawsuit against the club, claiming his ostracisation from the first team amounted to workplace harassment.