Arsenal's defensive woes worsen as Mustafi stretchered off against Bournemouth

Shkodran Mustafi had to be stretchered off as Arsenal beat Bournemouth 2-1 in the FA Cup in another injury setback for their depleted defence.

The German centre-half was hurt in a collision with Emiliano Martínez in the second half of the fourth-round clash and was urgently attended to by medical staff. The exact nature of the injury remains unconfirmed.

Arsenal are already missing Calum Chambers, Sead Kolasinac and Kieran Tierney through injury. Chambers is out until the end of the season after rupturing his ACL against Chelsea in December, while Kolasinac is nursing a thigh strain and Tierney is recovering from a dislocated shoulder.

Mustafi's injury came in the middle of a relatively strong performance against Bournemouth and he left the pitch with the score at 2-0. Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah got the goals for Arsenal before Sam Surridge scored late on for Bournemouth to deny Arteta's side a clean sheet.

Arteta had stated prior to the Cherries match that Mustafi could still feature in the Gunners' plans in the long term.

"When he is my player and when he is training with me the way he does every day, of course," Arteta said when asked if the maligned defender had a future at the club.

"The plans maybe in the summer were different with him. I came here, he is here and his attitude is always right and he wants to help.

"I don't believe that at 27 you cannot improve certain aspects of the game. I really believe you can.

"I work with players like this and I have had teammates like this and there is always a moment where there is a click."

Arsenal were already in the market for a defender this January, with a deal for Flamengo centre-back Pablo Mari on the verge of completion over the weekend but not yet finalised.

Arteta does at least have David Luiz coming back from suspension after his red card against Chelsea, but the likelihood is that he will have to improvise at the back when Arsenal travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley on Sunday.

The win against the Cherries sees Arsenal progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup where they will travel to League One side Portsmouth on March 5.