'We've lost four players' - Mikel Arteta admits new Arsenal injury blows after closing gap on Liverpool

Arsenal closed the gap on Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

The Gunners earned a 2-1 win over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Morino opened the scoring before Buyako Saka bagged in his return from a lengthy hamstring injury as Arsenal moved within nine points of leaders Liverpool, but have played one game more.

And the Gunners’ win may have come at a price. That is because they saw key centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes limp off in the first half with a hamstring injury. Then in the second period, Jurrien Timber could not continue after sustaining a knee issue.

Arsenal were already without defenders Riccardo Calafiori, who picked up a knee complaint while representing Italy during the international break, and Ben White was not available with a similar problem.

Arsenal face an anxious wait over the fitness of Gabriel and Timber. North London boss Arteta said via the club’s website: “We don’t know how they are going to be. We will be assessing them tomorrow and understand better how we are with those two. If there are two players in this team who never want to come off, it’s those two probably. Gabi felt something in his hamstring, we don’t know how big that is.

“And with Jurrien as well. He already was struggling very early in the game. He managed to continue and at some point he couldn’t. That’s the downside. Jurrien was a knee [injury] You can imagine, we've lost four players in the defensive line in one week - Calafiori, Ben White, Jurrien and Gabi Magalhaes. We have still another four, that are so willing that they will do their job.

“There have been some big, big players in very, very critical positions and affecting the whole line. But we have a lot of good news as well. Look at Mikel, look at Ethan (Nwaneri), look at other players doing other stuff. So that's it.”

Arteta, meanwhile, extolled the return to fitness of Saka. The Gunners talisman had been unavailable since December and he has been missed. Arteta added: “I think it's a beautiful moment to see how much our people love, respect and admire Bukayo.

“He's not a surprise to any of us and I think the best example is his reaction. Immediately after scoring a goal, what does he do? He goes and says thank you for all the hard work that all the sports science guys, physios and everybody involved in the recovery have done for him to be in the condition that he is. I think he lifted the stadium, the energy and it's great to have him back.

“He was very positive. I think the first [game] is always the one, how am I going to feel? Because now I have a different opposition in front of me, different demands and pressure. He dealt with it really well and the downside to that is Gabi and Jurrien, we don't know how they're going to be. We'll be assessing them tomorrow and understand better how we are with those two.”