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Ex-Arsenal star is 'struck down by tuberculosis' just weeks after joining new club and may be out for the rest of the season with the illness

Related Topics: Lucas Pérez

A former Arsenal player has been diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB) just weeks after signing for PSV, according to reports from the Netherlands.

The disease, which usually affects the lungs, was largely considered to have been consigned to the Victoria era — particuarly in the UK — due to inoculation.

However, TB cases have risen to alarming numbers over the last couple of years both in the UK and in Europe in general.

UK Health Security Agency figures show 5,480 people were struck by the bacterial infection in 2024 — a rise of 13 per cent on the previous year.