Arsenal's injury crisis at the back deepens as Monreal is forced off vs Burnley

Arsenal's defensive injury crisis deepened as Nacho Monreal was forced off against Burnley in the first half.

The left-back looked in discomfort as he came off for Stephan Lichtsteiner, causing another headache for Unai Emery.

Monreal is one of the key performers in the team and fans will hope the Spaniard was only taken off as a precautionary measure.

His absence will be a huge concern as the Gunners have suffered a number of injuries in recent weeks.

In defence, Hector Bellerin has been ruled out for at least another fortnight and Laurent Koscielny is still working his way back to full fitness.

Rob Holding is out for the rest of the season with ligament damage and Shkodran Mustafi has been sidelined with a hamstring problem.

And it's not just at the back that Emery's resources have been hit. Danny Welbeck is a long-term absentee after breaking his ankle.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is also suffering with an ankle problem that will keep him out until the new year.

With a busy run of festive fixtures, Emery will need to call on the full depth of his squad.