Arsenal: Shkodran Mustafi injury makes things rather uncomfortable

Arsenal will be without Shkodran Mustafi for the rest of the month at least, meaning this defense is about to be stretched like taffy

It wouldn’t be an international break if a crucial Arsenal player didn’t go down with a serious injury in an inconsequential match. This time around, it was Shkodran Mustafi who bit the dust against Azerbaijan, as he came up limp in a full sprint.

Joachim Lowe was less than encouraging about his initial diagnosis. Here’s what he had to say post-match (as quoted by the Metro):

"With Mustafi it seems that it is muscle tear or some muscle fibre tear,’ he said after the match. In any case it could force him to a longer break."

Not encouraging. And it’s even less encouraging when we take time to remember that Arsenal sold Gabriel Paulista, have a fragile Laurent Koscielny just returning to health and a much-needed Calum Chambers working his way back to match fitness.

All in all, I’d say this makes things rather uncomfortable. Arsenal has five key matches in the next 14 days – matches that will see them travel to Watford, then to Serbia to face Red Star Belgrade and then to Everton, all in the first eight days.

They close out with two home games, but by then, the damage will be done. By damage, I mean the wear and tear.

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With Mustafi out and Koscielny likely unable to play midweek matches lest we risk serious injury to him, we will be turning to Rob Holding and Nacho Monreal to play in every single match. From there, ideally we will have Calum Chambers and Koscielny to rotate between Premier League fixtures and Europa League fixtures, but there is no word on when he will be back either.

The Gunners defense was the weakest link earlier in the season, but has since settled down a bit. This changes things. Mustafi may have been unfairly pinpointed for the club’s defensive woes, but when you look at the numbers, he is a vital piece.

Thankfully, Holding was flirting with some solid form following his goal against BATE Borisov and Chambers is like the defensive version of Jack Wilshere – capable of so much any time he is out there. All we have to do now is get him healthy and out there.

It doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Five matches in 14 days is pretty damn rocky, but all it will require is for some of our talented young (and unfortunately enigmatic) defenders to step up to the plate and put in an extra workload.

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And, for the love of God, stay healthy.

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