Pablo Mari Ruled Out for Rest of Season With Ankle Injury

Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious ankle injury.

Mari only arrived at the club in January, signed on a loan deal from Brazilian side Flamengo with an option to make the move permanent in the summer.

The Spaniard was making just his second Gunners appearance against Manchester City on Wednesday night when he was forced to withdraw in the 24th minute.

This knock appears to have turned out worse than first feared, with David Ornstein reporting that the ankle injury will rule Mari out for the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign.

Granit Xhaka was also forced to withdraw against City due to an ankle problem, however his issue is not as serious and the midfielder may return to the fold before the end of the season.

Mari's replacement at the Etihad Stadium was David Luiz, who endured one of the worst Premier League performances in recent memory as Mikel Arteta's side slumped to a 3-0 defeat.

Luiz made an error for the Citizens' opening goal before conceding a penalty for their second, a foul that also earned him a red card. The Brazilian apologised for his woeful display after the game but with his contract set to expire at the end of this month, the former Chelsea man may have played his final game for the club.

The result means Arsenal are still five points adrift of fifth placed Manchester United, a position that should be enough for Champions League qualification this season due to City's pending ban from the competition.

Arteta and Arsenal's next game is on Saturday, when they travel to Sussex to take on Brighton. Rob Holding is in contention to feature after recovering from injury during lockdown.