Dutch club Ajax have confirmed that Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Zinchenko will miss the remainder of the 2025/2026 season after sustaining a knee injury two and a half minutes into his first home start for the club on Saturday.
The 29-year-old was forced off during Ajax’s Eredivisie home fixture against Fortuna Sittard at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam after a collision with Fortuna winger Dimitrios Limnios. Ajax issued a statement on Monday confirming that a hospital examination had revealed surgery was necessary and that Zinchenko would face a lengthy rehabilitation period ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Ajax won the match 4-1 with all four goals scored by Belgian players, including a brace from Mika Godts and strikes from Rayane Bounida and Jorthy Mokio. The result, however, was overshadowed by the early loss of their new signing.
Zinchenko joined Ajax from Arsenal on February 1 on a contract until June 30, in a deal understood to be worth approximately 1.5 million euros. He had spent the first half of the 2025/2026 campaign on loan at Nottingham Forest but managed only four league starts before his loan was terminated early. His sole prior Ajax appearance came as a late substitute away to AZ Alkmaar before Saturday’s ill-fated first home start.
The defender spent three and a half years at Arsenal, joining from Manchester City in July 2022 for approximately 32 million euros. He made 90 appearances across all competitions for the north London club before his departure. Zinchenko had reportedly accepted a significant pay reduction to secure the Ajax move, motivated primarily by a desire to maintain competitive match fitness ahead of Ukraine’s upcoming international commitments.
His season-ending diagnosis carries immediate consequences beyond club football. Zinchenko will now miss Ukraine’s Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2026 qualification play-off against Sweden, scheduled for March 26. He also served as Ukraine’s national team captain in recent campaigns, and his absence significantly weakens their prospects of reaching the tournament to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
Zinchenko posted a one-word response on Instagram following confirmation of his injury, describing himself as devastated. Former teammates from his time at Arsenal responded with words of encouragement, with William Saliba, Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Viktor Gyokeres among those to offer support on social media. Former Arsenal and Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka also contacted him publicly.
Ajax head coach Fred Grim expressed uncertainty about the severity of the injury immediately after the Sittard match on Saturday, but Monday’s medical assessment confirmed the worst outcome. The club did not disclose a specific timeline for surgery.
The injury represents a devastating blow to a player whose career has been repeatedly interrupted by muscular and joint problems. Zinchenko missed large portions of the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons at Arsenal through various injuries, limiting his ability to cement a regular starting role under former manager Mikel Arteta.
His short-term Ajax contract now expires at the end of June with no prospect of appearances, raising significant questions about his future and his ability to attract a new club for the 2026/2027 season.
