Arsenal handed Champions League boost as Bayern Munich star ruled out of second leg through injury

Arsenal have been given a significant lift for their upcoming Champions League quarter-final return leg as Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry is sidelined with an injury.

The ex-Arsenal forward, who found the net in the first half, had to be substituted in the 70th minute during the intense 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Gnabry is set for further assessment back in Munich, but early indications suggest he could be out of action for around three weeks, potentially even longer.

Bayern's head coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed the nature of the setback, saying: "It's a hamstring injury. It doesn't look good for the second leg."

Echoing the concern, Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreese praised Gnabry's contribution: "He scored a fantastic goal. Wishing you a speedy recovery, especially after today's fantastic performance."

Despite only making a handful of appearances for Arsenal before his departure to Werder Bremen in 2016, Gnabry was a constant menace against his former club throughout the match.

Although he has past ties with the Gunners, Gnabry did not hold back in celebrating his well-executed goal, contributing to the charged atmosphere at the Emirates, where only Arsenal supporters were in attendance.

READ MORE: Why Mikel Arteta shouted at David Raya as Arsenal reap benefits of dream squad

READ MORE: Why Bukayo Saka Arsenal penalty was not given vs Bayern Munich after VAR controversy

The refereeing decisions also sparked controversy, with Tuchel expressing his frustration towards referee Glenn Nyberg for not awarding a penalty to Bayern. The incident involved Gabriel Magalhaes handling the ball in the penalty area, which Tuchel believed occurred after keeper David Raya had already taken a free-kick.

The former Chelsea manager expressed his frustration to Amazon Prime, saying: "I think we could have won. I think it was a 100 per cent penalty that we didn't get. It's an extremely good opponent. Extremely good spectators, but a below-average referee. Little things all went in one direction, every physical contact was whistled away. Arsenal players could complain as they wanted."

"It was also a crystal clear hand penalty. He says to our players it was a 'kids mistake' - 'I won't whistle that in a Champions League quarter-final'. That's a completely new way of interpreting the rules. That's simply incredible and audacious."

Bukayo Saka, who felt aggrieved after a late penalty shout was dismissed when he tumbled from a challenge by Manuel Neuer, had earlier put Arsenal ahead with a sublime curling effort.

Serge Gnabry equalised for the opposition before Harry Kane converted a penalty following William Saliba's foul on Leroy Sane. Arsenal showed resilience and their efforts paid off when Leandro Trossard levelled the score, thanks to Gabriel Jesus' impressive footwork.

The decisive second leg is set for next Wednesday at the Allianz Arena, where either Manchester City or Real Madrid [3-3] will be waiting in the semi-finals.