Dani Ceballos was forced off the pitch early in the second half against Vitoria on Wednesday, and Unai Emery gave a brief update on why afterwards.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 17: Dani Ceballos of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Burnley FC at Emirates Stadium on August 17, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 17: Dani Ceballos of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Burnley FC at Emirates Stadium on August 17, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

For those who didn’t watch the game, Ceballos had started and played the full first half, but he only completed nine minutes of the second before being taken off.

The on-loan midfielder initially seemed to pull up with what looked like a hamstring injury, but he did keep playing for a few minutes after that, albeit with a bit of a limp. Eventually, he gave up and was replaced by Matteo Guendouzi.

When asked about whether Ceballos had been substituted for an injury problem, Emery responded: “Yes, we are going to wait for the analysis tomorrow but at the beginning, I think it is a small injury.”

Ceballos is the only Arsenal player to have featured in every single match this season so far, playing some part in all 17 fixtures. The Spaniard has only played 906 minutes though, the sixth-most of anyone in the squad, as many of his appearances have been from the bench.

All the same, the fact he’s been involved in every game travelling around the country and around Europe to prepare for multiple matches each week might still go some way to explaining why he’s now injured.

When he’s back, perhaps Emery will consider leaving him at home for a game or two occasionally. How long he’s out in the meantime will depend on the results of Arsenal’s assessment.