Arsenal winger Christos Tzolis will return to London after suffering a thigh tendon injury during Greece's 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in the Nations League, according to English media outlet Football.London.

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

Just minutes after his opening goal was ruled out for offside, the 24-year-old suddenly stopped, feeling tightness in his thigh tendon at the back of his right leg.

However, Tzolis still wanted to continue playing. He initially walked to the sideline, holding his head, but attempted to carry on.

Jovanovic then made the decision for him, intervening to substitute him in order to protect his physical condition.

The player, who joined the club this summer from Club Brugge for £34 million, will undergo medical examinations in his country today before returning to Arsenal to begin rehabilitation.

This means Tzolis will miss Greece's Nations League Group B match against Germany on Sunday. Last weekend, he provided the assist for Kurmpelis's winning goal in the 74th minute, helping the team defeat Klopp's side in Augsburg.

When questioned about the controversial substitution in the press conference, Jovanovic said: "How should I handle this? Tell me? I'm his manager, I told him to come off, and he said: 'I'm not coming off.'"

"How should I handle this? So, I attribute this to Greek character, and also to these young men who come to play for the national team, regardless of age. I think everyone present saw it, and those closest saw it very clearly."

"I made him come off because I suspected that if he wasn't feeling something, he wouldn't have acted that way. Today we don't know the severity of the injury, but I hope it's just a cramp, just temporary."

"To be honest, I have no other reason, because this is not a World Cup qualifier, it's the Nations League. First and foremost, I need to protect the player."

"He didn't want to stop at my side to come off; instead, he ran to defend the corner. Only then did he come off. These are our players."

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

Jovanovic also stated that the decision to substitute Tzolis was made after consulting the medical team. He explained: "We have doctors, and very good doctors. When the doctors believe that the issue is no longer appropriate for the player to continue playing, we must act."

"As head coach, I must first make the decision to substitute because it's a muscle problem, not an ankle problem or another part of the body."

"When the problem is muscular, along with the immediate information I received from the doctors, that's why I asked him to come off immediately."

The relationship between the two is considered very good, so although Tzolis was eager to continue playing, it is very likely that he understands Jovanovic's actions were purely for his protection.

Traduzido por IA.

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