Picture Credit: X
While Arsenal came out with a 2-1 victory against Fulham on matchday 30 of the Premier League, the events of the match were rather concerning and disappointing for the team, manager and fans alike. This is because Arsenal’s mainstay defenders Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timbers and Ben White seemed to finish the game with some discomfort and a risk of potential injuries. Talking specifically about Magalhaes, the Brazilian center-back had to be forced off the field in the 16th minute itself due to a hamstring problem. Mikel Arteta later clarified that the defender was already facing issues with his hamstring and yet wanted to start the game.
However, he couldn’t continue after a point and had to be subbed off. Speaking to the media in the post-match conference Arteta said, “Gabriel felt something in his hamstring. We don’t know how big that is. Jurrien Timber was already struggling early. He couldn’t continue.. We will now assess both players tomorrow.” Speaking about Ben White, Arteta said that he had a problem with his knee and will also need to be looked at by the club’s medical team. Ben White is already coming off a knee surgery from November 2024, which kept him out for three months.
These injuries could prove to be costly for Arsenal as they face Real Madrid next week
The match was full of mixed emotions for Arsenal supporters and Arteta. The positives were that Arsenal came off with a win and that Bukayo Saka, who was out from a long-time due to injury, made his appearance in the match. And what a wonderful cameo it was for Saka, who scored right in his first match after coming back as if he wasn’t gone at all.
But on the other hand, these injury concerns could be a major problem for Arteta and Arsenal as they have some big games coming up soon. The first one is a tough away game against Everton in the Premier League and then the Gunners will face an even bigger test against Real Madrid in the quarter-final of the Champions League.
