It's about that time of year again when the temperatures plummet, Christmas trees are readied andArsenal start to accumulate injuries to key men - and so, it wasn't the biggest surprise to see German defenderShkodran Mustafipull up midway through the first-half of Arsenal's clash withStoke on Saturday.
After the match - which Arsenal won 3-1 -Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had the following to say regarding the player's injury:"It's a bad one. The minimum for an injury like that is 21 days - so he will have a nice Christmas.
As reported by theMirror, beginning with a trip to Everton on Tuesday, Arsenal face a run of six games in the next 28 days and it looks like they'll have to make do without the impressive Mustafi, who has been a revelation in the centre of Arsenal's defence alongside Laurent Koscielny.
Remarking further about the player's injury, Wenger added: "I believe it looks quite a good hamstring strain. Good as in a bad sense."
There was also good news for Arsenal on the injury front, with Spanish speedsterHector Bellerin returning from a three-week layoff;entering the fray in Mustafi's place, Bellerin provided the assist for Arsenal's first (scored by Theo Walcott).
Accommodating both Mustafi's absence and Bellerin's entrance,Gabriel switched from right-back to the centre of defence.
Meanwhile, rounding up the Arsenal injury news,Per Mertesacker is back in training but is not expected to return until the New Year and Aaron Ramsey pickedup a hamstring strain in training this week, but the problem is not thought to be serious.