Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin will reportedly undergo further tests on his injured ankle on Monday as the Gunners hope it isn’t serious.
The Spaniard missed the FA Cup win over Preston North End on Saturday with the issue, and it has now been confirmed that he received a knock on his ankle in training on Friday.
As per ESPN FC correspondent Mattias Karen on Twitter, Bellerin will be assessed on Monday and Arsenal remain hopeful that it will only result in a short-term absence.
Told Hector Bellerin took a kick to the ankle Friday and will be assessed today, but club hoping it's short term.
— Mattias Karén (@MattiasKaren) January 9, 2017
Arsene Wenger was coy on the issue after his side’s win at the weekend as he refused to go into too much detail about the 21-year-old’s latest setback.
What is certain though is that Arsenal can ill-afford to see him sidelined for a significant period of time again as the right-back position is becoming problematic.
With Mathieu Debuchy still sidelined through a hamstring injury, and with neither Carl Jenkinson nor Ainsley Maitland-Niles convincing in that role, Wenger could be forced to shift Gabriel over to the right with Laurent Koscielny partnered by Shkodran Mustafi in the middle.
On paper that seems like a decent backline and in his defence, Gabriel played well at right-back when asked to fill in last month during Bellerin’s spell out of the team.
Nevertheless, the Spanish international offers so much more than any of his teammates from both a defensive and particularly an attacking perspective, and Arsenal will feel his loss for however long he has to sit out for.