Lucas returns home for treatment

While many Arsenal players are off to join their national teams and Mesut Özil is settling in for some quality time practicing perfect through balls—or whatever it is he does with his free time—Lucas Perez will be returning to Deportivo for time with friends, family and some familiar physios.

Lucas has returned home while he recovers from ankle ligament damage sustained against Reading in the EFL Cup late last month. A statement on the Depor website (and Google Translate) indicates that the Arsenal medical staff is happy to let the Spaniard’s former club tend to him:

“According to the plans of the English club’s medical services, in communication with the medical services of Deportivo, the forward will use the facilities during the next few days.”

Lucas is currently expected to be out for about five weeks, and while he has played a relatively minor role so far this season he will certainly be missed as an option to provide more depth, particularly as Arsenal attempts to avoid its usual November pitfalls.

The forward could still be a valuable resource off the bench if he does, in fact, recover in time for the busy holiday schedule. Having earned just two starts for the Gunners before his injury, Lucas has still managed to collect two goals and three assists.