Arsenal are set to lose Shkodran Mustafi for at least a month after the key defender suffered a hamstring injury in the win over Stoke on Saturday.
The Germany international, who has made a huge impact since his £35million arrival from Valencia in the summer, limped off after just 25 minutes.
And manager Arsene Wenger fears his influential centre back will not play again in 2016.
‘It’s a bad one, he wasn’t carrying anything before the game.