Arsenal and Ukraine defender Oleksandr Zinchenko recently recounted a harrowing experience where he nearly lost his leg due to a mix-up with a flight attendant.
He shared, “I was on a Lufthansa flight and thought I’d use the time to reduce the swelling in my ankle. I asked the flight attendant for some ice, but my poor English and lack of German led to some confusion. Eventually, she brought me a packet that looked like ice. I wrapped it around my ankle and went to sleep, thinking everything was fine.”
An hour later, he woke up expecting melted water but found only an empty plastic bag. He noticed his ankle’s skin had turned white, and as it warmed up, large blisters began forming where the ice had been. “Now I was really worried,” he said. “How could my ankle react like that?”
The reason? He had frostbite. Unknowingly, the flight attendant had given him dry ice, which is far colder than regular ice and sublimates into gas rather than melting. His ankle had been exposed to intense cold, stopping blood flow and causing tissue damage. Quick medical attention saved his leg from amputation due to the risk of gangrene.
Zinchenko detailed this story in his autobiography, Believe, which was released on October 24 in English.
This season, the Ukrainian defender has seen limited action with Arsenal, playing only 79 minutes across two matches.
