The curse of injuries to the hamstrings in Arsenal does not seem to end.
The excitement before their 2-1 victory on Fulham Tuesday evening focused on the return of Bukayo Saka.
His absence of three months due to a tear of the hamstrings, which required an operation, had been cruelly felt by the Gunners who fell from the protection of the title of the Premier League at that time.
However, the boost to see him replace the 66th minute and the scoring – his return collected a reception to a royal of the crowd of the house – was attenuated by what happened in the first half. Gabriel, the brilliant light of Arsenal in the bottom line this season, stopped by tightening the back of his right leg with an ischio-injury injury.
He went up to the field and went down directly into the tunnel. For the number so little time before their equality in the quarter -final of the two -legged Champions League against Real Madrid, the first leg next Tuesday, is cruel. The hopes of the club in northern London were already somewhat circumstant.
Competition is the last real hope of the Gunners of Argente this season. Without Gabriel – it is difficult to see him come back in such a short time – their chance of progression is seriously cut.
The hopes of the Arsenal Champions League have been largely reduced by the hamstring injury of Gabriel
The defender was released in the first half of the 2-1 victory of Arsenal on Fulham Tuesday evening
Arsenal was stimulated by the return of goals from Bukayo Saka, but Gabriel is a Lynchpin
The injury reflects the arsenal season in many ways; A giant obstacle just when things seem to start to move in the right direction. And an ischio-leg again being the problem.
Earlier in the season, Martin Odegaard’s ankle injury in September left a gaping hole in the midfield for two months. Mikel Arteta had to become creative at the center and moved Thomas Partey towards the return.
They finally recovered Odegaard in November, but then lost Saka because of an injury to the hamstrings at the end of December. To make things worse, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were to suffer injury in the next six weeks, Havertz falling too much to a problem of the hamstrings who excluded him for the season.
He led to the deployment of Mikel Merino as a new fortune number. In all honesty, Merino has skillfully intensified, hitting six league goals so far. But playing him as an attacker has never been the plan.
Now the defense is seriously compromised by the loss of Gabriel. The partnership of William and William Saliba formed the foundation of the bottom line which maintained arsenal far frightened in the wake of injuries.
Before their second stage against the PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last 16, Saliba admitted that Gabriel had played better than him this season. It is so important for this team.
This raises the question: how much does the players’ workload have an influence on the series of injuries to the hamstrings of Arsenal?
Often this season, the luxury of rotation was not particularly available to Arteta due to injuries. But the intensity of training, rest and recovery lengths may well need to be examined.
Arteta must negotiate a quarter -final confrontation with Real Madrid, from the Emirates next week
Injuries to the hamstrings, and indeed absences in general, were the scourge of the arsenal season
Saka has just returned from a three -month layoff but does not seem like a player and received a copious reception
Arsenal has always William Saliba, but Gabriel was probably their best player this season
Jurrien Timber also injured in the second half when Arsenal cut the gap in Liverpool
The last word, however, has to go to Saka, the story of the match centered around his return.
He looked lively in his cameo, moving in the right wing and coming out inside at rhythm, as he often does. His goal, a careful head on the back of the back of Gabriel Martinelli, crowned a good personal night for the winger. The presentation of surgery to the complete physical form can be difficult, and even more when you are such a key player for a team.
In the 16 games that the 23 -year -old was available in the League for Arsenal, they scored 34 goals at a rate of 2.1 per game.
In the 13 years he missed, the Gunners marked 19 at a rate of 1.5 per game – this is a big drop.
Arteta, however, will be sleepy for the moment when Gabriel returns.