Ex-Arsenal player rushed to hospital after sickening injury during game

Former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin was rushed to hospital after a brutal clash of heads during a match in France.

During what has been a busy transfer window, former Arsenal player Coquelin, 35, made the decision to sign for Ligue 2 side Laval on a free transfer.

The French club is his hometown and boyhood team, with the move seen as a long-awaited return after he left their youth academy 18 years ago to make the move to Arsenal.

Coquelin made his debut for the club in an away trip to Rodez AF, playing just 25 minutes of the match as a substitute in the 3-1 loss.

But his dream of a welcoming return to the home ground, the Stade Francis Le Basser, suddenly became a nightmare as he was involved in a frightening clash of heads that forced medical staff to intervene.

In just his second appearance for the club, the midfielder went down early in the match after clashing heads with Wilitty Younoussa, who was making his debut for Nantes.

The clash was so severe that reports have claimed that it even forced the French Red Cross to get involved.

Both Coquelin and Younoussa were taken off the pitch on stretchers, with the former Arsenal star, who was thankfully conscious, taken to hospital to undergo scans and tests.

There, it was revealed that he may have suffered a broken eye socket, potentially sidelining him for several months.

Covering the incident, French reporter Cyprien Legeay wrote: “Major concern in Laval after Francis Coquelin and Wilitty Younoussa violently collided with their heads.

“The players quickly made big gestures to get the Red Cross to intervene quickly.”

Post-match Laval head coach David Vignes confirmed that the injury was 'pretty serious' and would likely keep Coquelin out of contention for some time.

Laval went on to defeat Nantes 2-1 after a 95th minute winner, taking them to tenth in Ligue 2.

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Coquelin made 160 appearances for Arsenal during his career, winning the FA Cup twice while also going out on loan to Lorient, Freiburg and Charlton.

After leaving Arsenal, he spent three years playing for Valencia before joining Villarreal, where he won the Europa League during his four-year tenure.

Ahead of the move to Laval, he spent two seasons with fellow French side Nantes, with the match against the club his first time against his former team since the move.