Mikel Arteta is facing a defensive injury crisis ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime trip to Everton and next week’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final meeting with Real Madrid, with four defenders at risk of being ruled out of a crucial week of action.
Already without Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori going into Tuesday’s match with Fulham, Arsenal lost Gabriel after just 16 minutes, while Jurrien Timber was also forced off in the second half of their 2-1 win.
Arsenal manager Arteta said: “The good thing is that it’s been like this the whole season. How we have managed to be where we are with all those injuries.
“Gabi felt something in his hamstring, we don’t know how big that is, and with Jurrien as well he was already struggling very early in the game. He managed to continue and at some point he couldn’t.
“We’ve lost four players in the defensive line in one week. Calafiori, Ben White, Jurrien and Gabi. We have still another four that are so willing that they will do their job. We want it so much that we’re going to give it a real go and we are very excited for the next week.”
