ARSENAL were plunged into an injury crisis after losing Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari within just 23 minutes of the Premier League restart.
Xhaka was carried off on a stretcher after appearing to roll his ankle while tracking back eight minutes after kick-off against Man City.
Arsenal were plunged into a fresh crisis with Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari forced off just 23 minutes into the clash against Man City
Insult was added to injury after replays showed the knock occurred when he crashed into team-mate Matteo Guendouzi.
While centre-back Mari looked to injure either his Achilles or calf around quarter of an hour later after a coming together with Raheem Sterling.
He was replaced by David Luiz, who could be making one of his final few appearances in a Gunners shirt – especially after the Brazilian was at fault for the first goal before conceding a penalty and being sent off.
Boss Mikel Arteta axed Mesut Ozil from the squad altogether despite the £350,000-a-week World Cup winner being fully fit.
Managers also have the option of five subs now, with nine players allowed on the bench.
Arteta will hope the injuries do not turn out to be too serious with Arsenal five points off fifth-placed Manchester United at the time of writing.
If Mari’s in particular ends up being bad then that could accelerate Arsenal’s plans to land Thiago Silva.
The Brazilian defender – whose time is coming to an end at PSG – is reportedly willing to take a pay-cut to fulfil his ambition of playing in the Premier League.
It looks like Ozil could be going the opposite way after being left out altogether.
His absence will only lead to speculation that the 31-year-old could be leaving Arsenal this summer.
SunSport reported that Ozil could head a long list of players shown the door at the Emirates at the end of the season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have also been tipped to leave.
According to the Express, Arteta is also planning to offload four of his defenders to make room for new arrivals.
It is understood that he is willing to cut ties with Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Rob Holding and Sead Kolasinac.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is ‘very happy at the club’ amid transfer speculation
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
