In the 62nd minute of Arsenal’s FA Cup clash against Bournemouth this evening, defender Shkodran Mustafi was stretchered off after a collision, dealing another setback to Arsenal’s injury-stricken defence.
The Gunners already have Kieran Tierney, Calum Chambers and Sead Kolasinac sitting on the sidelines.
Does this latest setback make it absolutely essential for Mikel Arteta to dip into the transfer market for reinforcements before the window closes?
The MailOnline claim that Mustafi landed awkwardly on his ankle. The centre-back looked solid for the north London outfit before going down early in the second-half.
Read More: Bournemouth 1-2 Arsenal – a comfortable away win for Arsenal
Whilst Mustafi has experienced his fair share of struggles since arriving at Arsenal, it’s heartbreaking to see the 27-year-old go down with a painful blow just as he’s beginning to get himself back into the team.
Should the Germany international be sidelined, that would leave only Sokratis, David Luiz and Rob Holding as available option at the heart of defence to Arteta.
It’s hard for us to sort out our defensive problems when we always seem to be forced into shifting things around at the back because of injuries.
Well now, the board has no choice than to make the Mari transfer work
Do something about that defence before things get more worse, so far I as an Arsenal fan Arteta is getting us somewhere
As much as I want Mustafi to leave Arsenal. He is an Arsenal player and it hurts to see him injured. I don’t want to see any of our players injured.
Also, now we are one less experienced defender. Our CB are far from great but they are all we have
We MUST sign a CB now, be it purchase or Loan
Don’t know why people are panicking? Obviously I don’t wish a bad injury on anyone, but it’s a blessing in disguise if Arteta cannot pick Mustafi for an extended period of time.
It is irrelevant that we’re already short at the back, because he is so poor! Even if we can’t sign a replacement before the window closes, a CB from our youth/reserves will easily fill Mustafi’s shoes as an awful squad player.
Arteta, Emery, Ljungberg, and Wenger must ALL be blind then as all of them preferred him to Holding (when in his current post-injury form) or reserves.
I agree that with Holding in his last season’s form it wouldn’t have been a blow, but he again cost us a goal yesterday and needs at least another half-season to return to his form, it seems.
Exactly. We better have a healthy Mustafi at this time than an injured Mustafi.
Was he not doing well before he went off?
I totally agree with you
@ TM JW.Do not let the hate block your reasoning.Mustafi was doing an excellent job until he got injured,after he went out our defensive lines were broken; he, apart of his brain collapse on the Chelsea game have been the most consistent defender.Arteta was not wrong when he selected him instead of calamity Holding.
club needs to start thinking about Holding. He was fantastic last year til injury. In his return he has been pretty poor. Hopefully he is able to work back, but we have to start considering that this is his new level and it isn’t very good. Jury is still out but we aren’t seeing much.
I see no reason why we panicking because we’ve got holding and he is a very good player… I don’t wish any player injury but mustafi has been very poor, a player with such experience??? No no no, let him go and rest…
Did you see the comment just before yours, TBoss? Were you watching the same game as Georgy? I find it difficult to believe that there can be such widely differing opinions of the same 90mins, unless there is a built-in bias that just closes it’s eyes to anything positive. And when that bias is formed in a club over some beers, it is very difficult to get rid of.
Mustafi has greatly improved playing for arteta.
I think his problem has always been concentrating a whole 90mins and that’s exactly the problem with arsenal defenders except for socratis…
His diagonals yesterday were excellent..
Hope he recovers fast.
I’m actually begining to think his combo with socratis is our best pairing for now…
Regardless of how you rate Mustafi as a player,let’s hope he recovers quickly.