Just over two months after returning from a lengthy layoff, Arsenal star Hector Bellerin has suffered a reported hamstring injury during the warm-up before this evening’s clash with London rivals West Ham.
Football.London’s James Benge claimed that the Gunners ace was pulled from tonight’s starting lineup with an injury that seemed to be to the hamstring.
Fellow Arsenal academy graduate Ainsley Maitland-Niles replaced the 24-year-old full-back in the starting eleven.
Considering that Arsenal’s major weakness this season has been in defence, this is the last thing that fans would’ve wanted to see.
The setback also comes up at the busiest period of the season. To make matters worse, summer signing Kieran Tierney was forced off with an injury in the first-half of the clash.
Here’s how some supporters reacted to the Spaniard’s blow:
We really waited for almost six months to see a lineup that everyone is happy with only for Héctor Bellerín to pick up an injury in the warmup. The most Arsenal thing ever.
— Patrick Timmons (@PatrickTimmons1) December 9, 2019
what could be more arsenal??????
— 34 (@yaseer_aam) December 9, 2019
We can never be happy for more than 20 mins this season
— vijay siddharth (@indiangooner21) December 9, 2019
Bellerin injured in the warm-up, Tierney now off with nasty shoulder injury.
Got to feel for @freddie – he’s inherited a basket case of a team, and the basket’s now falling apart. #WHUARS— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 9, 2019
Hector Bellerin has just picked up an injury in the warm up…. sums up our luck this season
— GoonerViews (@GoonerViews) December 9, 2019
this season is cursed
— ‘ (@iizsn) December 9, 2019
Only arsenal
— M.B (@Musab_Baig1) December 9, 2019
The line up was too perfect to be real. Thanks to arsenal for bringing us back to earth.
— Alfalfa (@henwall_) December 9, 2019
Bellerin injured in the warmup and now Tierney too. He’s going off for Kolasinac who is injured and wasn’t in the team prior to Bellerin’ injury. Will we ever have our best XI on the pitch man
— Aubazettes (@Aubazettes) December 9, 2019
The Gunners haven’t had any luck with keeping their defenders fit recently, this could be one of the factors that is impacting the side’s stability at the back.
Supporters will be hoping that Bellerin’s knock isn’t serious, otherwise Maitland-Niles – who isn’t a natural full-back, may be required to play out of position at a crucial moment in the season.
With Arsenal’s defence already struggling to keep the ball out of the net, this will hardly help the team’s hopes for getting back to their best soon.