Shkodran Mustafi Suffered Hamstring Injury vs. Fulham, Per Unai Emery

Shkodran Mustafi picked up a "small" hamstring injury during Arsenal's 4-1 win over Fulham on Tuesday, according to Gunners manager Unai Emery. 

The Spaniard substituted his centre-back at half-time and confirmed the move was injury-related after the contest, per sportswriter James Olley:

It's another setback for the former Valencia and Sampdoria man, as he had only just returned from injury:

According to Transfermarkt.com the previous absence was also related to his hamstring. He has missed time in each of the last two seasons with similar issues.

Mustafi has started 18 Premier League matches so far this season and is one of the team's best and most experienced defenders. The Gunners are already without several defensive players, including Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal and Rob Holding, so they can't afford to lose yet another important man for a significant amount of time.

Fortunately for Emery, their next outing will be in the FA Cup against Blackpool, a match in which Mustafi might have been rested even if he hadn't been injured.

With key clashes against West Ham and Chelsea on the horizon, the cup meeting with the Tangerines is hardly crucial.

In his absence, Stephan Lichtsteiner could move back into a centre-back role in a three-man defence, although he hasn't found much success playing there this season.