Arsenal winger Tsolis will return to London after sustaining a hamstring injury while playing for Greece in a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League, according to English media outlet Football.london.

Greece coach Ivan Jovanovic revealed that the Arsenal winger told him he would not leave the field before being substituted due to the injury.

Minutes after his opening goal was ruled out for offside, the 24-year-old suddenly stopped, feeling a hamstring strain in the back of his right leg.

However, Tsolis still wanted to continue playing. He initially walked to the sideline holding his head but attempted to stay on the pitch.

Jovanovic then made the decision for him, substituting him to protect his physical condition.

The player, who joined Arsenal this summer from Club Brugge for £34 million, will undergo an examination in his home country today before returning to Arsenal to begin rehabilitation.

This means Tsolis will miss Greece's UEFA Nations League Group B match against Germany on Sunday. Last weekend, he set up Koulierakis's winning goal in the 74th minute, helping the team defeat Klopp's side in Augsburg.

When asked about the controversial substitution in his press conference, Jovanovic said: "How should I handle it? Tell me? I am the coach, I told him to come out, and he said, 'I won't come out.'"

"How should I handle it? So, I attributed this to Greek character, and also to these young players who come to play for the national team, whatever their age. I think everyone present saw this happen, especially those nearby."

"I substituted him because I suspected that if he wasn't feeling something, he wouldn't act like that. Today, we don't know how serious the injury is, but I hope it's just a cramp, only temporary."

"Honestly, I had no other choice, because this isn't World Cup qualifying, it's the Nations League. Most importantly, I have to protect the players."

"He didn't want to stop next to me and come off; instead, he ran to defend the corner kick. Only after that did he come off. That's our player."

After the match, Tsolis signed autographs for Greek fans outside the stadium and exchanged jerseys and took photos with his Arsenal teammate Timber.

Jovanovic also stated that the decision to substitute Tsolis was made in consultation with the medical team. He explained: "We have doctors, and very good doctors. When the doctor is confident that the condition no longer allows the player to continue playing, we must act."

"As head coach, I have to make the decision to substitute a player, because this is a muscle issue, not an ankle or other body part."

"When the problem is muscular, combined with the direct information I received from the doctor, that's why I asked him to come off immediately."

The relationship between the two is considered very good, so although Tsolis was keen to keep playing, he will likely understand that Jovanovic was only doing it to protect him.

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