Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny was stretchered off the Estadio Metropolitano pitch in agony on Thursday night during the club’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid.

The 32-year-old was in obvious pain after he was believed to have ruptured his achilles in a sight which was as distressing to everyone connected with the club.

Speaking after the match departing Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was not hopeful.

He said: “It doesn’t look very good. You can always hope for a miracle in the scan that he will have but the first signs don’t look very good.

“You will know that more soon. It looks like it could be that. I’m a bit cautious [about confirming that] because nobody could say that without looking at it clinically.”

Wenger also ruled out Koscielny appearing at this summers World Cup in Russia.

International team-mate and Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann looked close to tears after the injury to his French colleague while Wenger added Koscielny’s World Cup chances depend on a forthcoming scan. He said: “If he has a ruptured achilles his chances are non-existent. We will know more after the scan.”