Malaria could rule Kolo Toure out of Arsenal season start

Arsenal defender Kolo Toure is believed to have contracted malaria while holidaying in his native Ivory Coast.

He is likely to miss the start of the new Premier League season if the mystery illness is confirmed as malaria.

According to reports, a source at Arsenal is worried that Toure could be sidelined for at least a month, which would leave manager Arsene Wenger with a selection headache before his 2008/09 campaign has even started.

"Kolo was in hospital until the early hours and released into the care of Arsenal medical staff," said the source, reports the Daily Telgraph.

"Malaria is very serious and this could lay Kolo low for weeks or maybe months.

"He needs more tests back in London to establish exactly what has struck him down but the initial thoughts are that it could be malaria."

Toure isn't the first footballer to contract malaria. Former Newcastle players Celestine Babayaro and Lomana LuaLua, Everton's Yakubu and Tottenham's Didier Zokora have all suffered from the illness.

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