Losing to one of their most historic rivals isn’t even the worst thing to happen to Arsenal today, the Gunners will now be down to barebones due to the injury crisis they are facing.
Unai Emery’s go-to centre-back’s; Sokratis and Laurent Koscielny were both forced off with an injury in this evening’s 3-1 defeat to United.
Sokratis signalled to the Arsenal bench to take him off in the 21st minute of the match, Sokratis had gone off the pitch beforehand and had attempted to continue playing but the pain in the Greek star’s ankle was clearly unbearable.
Arsenal captain Koscielny’s injury was a lot more gruesome for viewers, the Frenchman suffered a serious blow to his head when Romelu Lukaku accidentally landed on his face with his boot.
Another Arsenal injury. Koscielny catches an accidental boot in the face from Lukaku. A bit of blood but the the jaw is of greater concern. #AFC pic.twitter.com/LTPTYNXZyJ
— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) January 25, 2019
Unai Emery revealed post-match that the club captain had been taken to a hospital, Emery feared that Koscielny has a broken jaw:
Unai Emery fears Koscielny has broken his jaw
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) January 25, 2019
The side of Koscielny’s head was bleeding and the veteran stalwart had to receive medical attention for some time before being able to leave the pitch.
Koscielny and Sokratis will join Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding on the defensive injury list. Bellerin and Holding will both be out for up to nine months as they have unfortunately ruptured their knee ligaments.
I’d expect Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Stephan Lichsteiner to cover for Bellerin at right-back, but Arsenal have a pressing issue to deal with at centre-back.
Shkodran Mustafi and Konstantinos Mavropanos are the only fit centre-back’s at the club. Nacho Monreal will likely take up a role in central defence whilst Sokratis and Koscielny are sidelined as the Spaniard has experience playing at the heart of the defence.
Check out some reaction from Arsenal fans to the injury:
— koscielny (@H14afc) January 25, 2019
Is it a joke? Sokratis and now Kos, in the same match! SMH
— Ablo SALAH (@salah_abdoulaye) January 25, 2019
Now am certain Arsenal is a cursed football team on Earth
— Bennie Curson (@alphonce82) January 25, 2019
What’s going on! all of a sudden we’ve lost three defenders in less than one month. This absolutely disgusting and i think unai needs to step up and bring in new faces to solve this nightmare soon as possible.. #COYG ??????
— Foster nyarko (@ever_yung61) January 25, 2019
Will this injury and the one to sokratis finally mean the morons up top will get a new defender in?? We have 1 recognised fit centre back and he isn’t fit to play in the Welsh premier League!
— Paul Bennett (@Paul400mhurdler) January 25, 2019
Centre backs left:
Mustafi & Mavropanos pic.twitter.com/vflPHHSYfI— Sebastian Pluta (@SebastianPluta2) January 25, 2019
Your defenders are cursed
— MENTOR ? (@ifeanyiokech) January 25, 2019
To make matters even worse the Gunners have a two game week on the horizon, they will face off against relegation candidates Cardiff on Tuesday evening before travelling to Manchester to take on United’s noisy neighbours, City.
I dread to think what City’s attack will do to what will be a second-string defensive line from Arsenal.
