Unai Emery Confirms Hector Bellerin Injury, Unsure If He Can Play vs. Liverpool

Arsenal manager Unai Emery does not know if Hector Bellerin will be available to face Liverpool next Saturday after confirming he suffered an injury in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. 

Bellerin was withdrawn at half-time at Selhurst Park, and Emery explained the right-back was injured.

He said: "Yes, he's injured. I hope it's not a big injury, but he had muscular pains. I don't know [whether he's a doubt for the Liverpool game next Saturday]."

Bellerin offered a brief update on social media after Sunday's match:

James Olley of the Evening Standard said the Spaniard could be in for a swift recovery upon seeing him after the game:

Bellerin had been enjoying a good game against Crystal Palace prior to his half-time exit, so it was clear an injury was responsible for Stephan Lichtsteiner's emergence in his place after the break.

The 23-year-old's development had been a little stop-start under previous manager Arsene Wenger, but he has enjoyed a strong season thus far under Emery. He helped them record 11 wins in a row before that run came to an end against Palace after Luka Milivojevic's late equaliser.

As Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe noted, Emery's system is set up to get the best out of Bellerin:

As such, it will be a significant blow if he's unable to feature against Liverpool.

Arsenal's strong start to the season has seen them keep in touch with the Premier League leaders, and if the Gunners beat the Reds at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday they'll be just one point behind them.

Liverpool will also be Arsenal's first major test since they lost to Manchester City and Chelsea in the first two matches of the campaign, and how they fare in it will be a useful indicator of how far their 11-match winning streak has taken them.

Bellerin's pace and productivity can help the Gunners achieve a positive result, so they'll be hoping he can recover in time.