Wenger upbeat over injured Arsenal trio

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker was substituted during the first half against Hull due to a cut head, Brazilian stopper Gabriel in the second half with a muscle problem, and midfielder Aaron Ramsey later in the game.

Published : Mar 09, 2016 11:50 IST , London

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey picked up a thigh injury in the win over Hull City.
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey picked up a thigh injury in the win over Hull City.
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Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey picked up a thigh injury in the win over Hull City.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger gave a positive early assessment of three injuries to key players following Tuesday's 4-0 FA Cup victory over Hull City at Emirates Stadium.

Having gone into the game missing centre-back Laurent Koscielny through injury, Arsenal then lost fellow defender Per Mertesacker during the first half due to a cut head, Brazilian stopper Gabriel in the second half with a muscle problem, and midfielder Aaron Ramsey later in the game.

Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott scored two apiece to secure Arsenal an FA Cup quarter-final against Watford, after which it will face Barcelona at Camp Nou in the Champions League.

Wenger told BT Sport: "I'm in shock because we lost our two centre-backs and then Ramsey. Mertesacker just has a concussion and Gabriel looks alright. Ramsey has a thigh injury, so I'm a bit more concerned about him."

The result ended a run of five winless games for Arsenal and ensured it continues to compete for silverware on three fronts this season.

Arsenal won 3-0 at Vicarage Road in October and the triumph over promotion-chasing Hull left Wenger confident that his players are performing well enough to ensure a repeat of that result.

"Apart from the injuries, we played well," he said. "Watford are a good side and it will be an interesting tie. Let's see if we can recover one or two injuries and play the way we played here."

Giroud's double ended a run of 11 Arsenal appearances without a goal and Wenger was quick to congratulate the 29-year-old, saying: "We have great confidence in the squad. Giroud's goal will help him and give him euphoria. I made the decision to play him because he always wants to play."

Giroud, who welcomed the birth of his second child on the eve of the game, said: "My wife had a delivery yesterday, but I wanted to play this game and I'm very happy for the team. We played a good game and got a clean sheet, so we are very pleased."

"I'm pleased to be back on the score sheet, and I feel well on the pitch. We had good team cohesion, and we want to win our third FA Cup in a row."

Despite the win, there were still signs of unrest among the home fans, with a banner unfurled at full-time which demanded the Frenchman leave the club.

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