Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Xavi Simons (Photo by Gualter Fatia, Shaun Botterill, Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
The win against Fulham on Tuesday perfectly encapsulated Arsenal’s season.
You had the positive of Bukayo Saka coming back, something that boosted the whole club. And then you had the crushing disappointment of seeing Gabriel Magalhaes limp off early with a hamstring injury.
That’s just how things have gone at Arsenal since the season got underway. Injuries have just been the theme of the campaign.
And obviously it’s not just Gabriel. It’s Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White as well. In the space of a week it looks like Arsenal have managed to lose four defenders with the biggest two games of the season looming large.
Mikel Arteta tried to put a positive spin on things after the game, as he has done all season. He’s never looked to use the injuries as an excuse, but deep down he must be wondering what he’s done to deserve all the misfortune that has come his way this season.
Saka’s return was such a great moment. The excitement that swept around the stadium when he got up just to warm-up showed how much has been missed.
And for him to then come on and end up scoring the winner was incredible. He just writes his own scripts.
It’s massive for Arsenal to have him back and with Gabriel Martinelli looking very sharp as well it does bode well ahead of the Real Madrid ties.
But the issues at the back now are a massive worry. We don’t yet know the extent of the injuries to Gabriel, Timber and White – but you feel it is very unlikely that they will all be fit to face Madrid.
In Gabriel’s case it feels impossible to think he could return so quickly to feature given it’s a hamstring problem and that’s a huge blow.
But I have to say I think the potential issue with Timber is even more worrying. If he and White both miss out that would mean Thomas Partey at right-back against Vinicius Junior and that would be a big problem for Arsenal.
The timing is just so disappointing.
It would have been great to have seen Gabriel and William Saliba together up against Madrid’s attack. It would have been a challenge they would have…
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