Ahead of the Europa League game against Eintracht Frankfurt that will take place on Thursday, the Gunners have been handed a real blow with an injury to right back Hector Bellerin.
This adds further pressure on manager Unai Emery who is facing a fight to keep his job. The news of Bellerin’s injury was confirmed on the club’s official website:
“Tight hamstring. Being assessed ahead of Thursday’s match.”
Given that the Spaniard has just returned from a long-term injury not too long ago, it would not be advisable to play him in a situation like this.
The last thing the club and the player would want is for the injury to become aggravated and for him to miss out on more action.
The good news for the North London club is that they can make use of someone like Calum Chambers or Ainsley Maitland-Niles in his place. They have covered for Bellerin in the past and can do the required job and keep the Frankfurt attackers at bay.
But Arsenal will miss the pace and attacking thrust that the Spaniard has in spades and has become an integral part of Emery’s playing style.
Apart from Bellerin, the other notable absentees could come in the form of Sead Kolasinac and Dani Ceballos as both of them have injury problems of their own. This might also mean that all of this will facilitate a return to the squad for Granit Xhaka who has not played since clashing with the fans during the club’s 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace.
If Arsenal were to beat the German team, they would guarantee themselves top spot in their group but that may not be enough to keep Emery in a job for long. The club’s dismal form in the Premier League has seen a lot of calls for him to be sacked and those reports are gathering pace by the day.
But regardless of what his future may be like, fans will be hoping that the Gunners will put on a strong showing today. Getting back to winning ways is important if the club is keen on moving forward.
Bellerin will be a huge miss but the club can cope with it and Thursday’s match is a good opportunity to make a statement.
