Shkodran Mustafi’s surgery to correct a problem with his hamstring went well and he has posted a picture of himself lounging at home in a knee brace.

Arsenal's German defender Shkodran Mustafi (C) is helped off the pitch injured during the English FA Cup semi-final football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London, on July 18, 2020. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP)
Arsenal’s German defender Shkodran Mustafi (C) is helped off the pitch injured during the English FA Cup semi-final football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London, on July 18, 2020. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP)

Mustafi picked up his hamstring problem in the semi-final of the FA Cup against Manchester City. It was initially hoped he had merely wanted to come off as a precaution but the club confirmed last week his season was over.

Now, we know he’s not expected back in training until October after surgery following a “successful small procedure to his right hamstring on Saturday.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMR0gkF82l/

“It looks a really nasty injury again,” Arteta said last week before the Watford game when asked how Mustafi was dealing with missing the cup final.

“We have lost Calum Chambers after the week I arrived here. We lost Pablo [Mari] for three months. We lost Musti.” Let’s not also forget Gabriel Martinelli who will not be back before the end of 2020.

Arteta was then asked if he expected the injury to keep Mustafi out ‘long-term’. “I think so” the Spaniard replied.

“Yes, he will [miss the start of next season].

“He pulled the tendon of the bone of his hamstring and that’s normally a lot of weeks.”

Mustafi's surgery went well to repair his right hamstring .(Photo by Justin Tallis/Pool via Getty Images)
Mustafi’s surgery went well to repair his right hamstring .(Photo by Justin Tallis/Pool via Getty Images)

Mustafi has shown himself to be one of Arsenal’s best central defenders since Mikel Arteta took over at the club and his loss is a relative blow.

There ad been talk that Mikel Arteta wanted to give him a new contract with his current deal set to expire next summer. Ideally, if we had wanted to sell him we would have done that this summer when we could get some cash for him.

That clearly isn’t going to happen given his injury so a new contract should be incoming, if for no other reason than to try and protect some of the £36.9m the club spent on the German 28-year-old in 2016.