“I Think He Broke His Leg”: Bandikyan Suffers Serious Injury in Cyprus vs Armenia Match

Armenia national team defender Artem Bandikyan suffered a serious injury in the UEFA Nations League third-round match against Cyprus, which ended in a 2-0 defeat for Armenia.

The incident occurred in the 52nd minute. Cyprus defender Kostas Pileas made a dangerous challenge on Bandikyan. The referee initially did not show a red card, but after reviewing the incident with VAR, he changed his decision and sent the Cypriot player off with a straight red card.

The incident looked extremely concerning. Replays showed Bandikyan’s ankle bending severely as a result of the challenge. The Armenian defender was unable to leave the pitch on his own and had to be carried off on a stretcher.

After the match, Armenia head coach Yeghishe Melikyan said he feared that the injury could be a serious one.

“Bandikyan was injured during the game. I think he broke his leg. I don’t understand why we have so many injuries. We already have 14 injured players,” Melikyan said at the post-match press conference.

The exact diagnosis, however, is not yet known. Bandikyan will undergo medical examinations, after which the severity of the injury and a possible recovery timeline will become clearer.

It is already certain that the defender will not play against Montenegro on October 5 in Armenia’s next match.

Bandikyan’s absence creates further problems for the coaching staff. After the Cyprus match, Melikyan noted that the situation on the right side of the defence had become particularly difficult.

“Right now I don’t know who can replace Bandikyan. This is already our fourth loss at right wing-back, and that is just one position. We have what we have,” the head coach said.

The match against Cyprus was Armenia’s third game in the current UEFA Nations League campaign. Despite having a numerical advantage from the 52nd minute, Armenia were unable to overturn the two-goal deficit from the first half.