Arsenal will be without Bukayo Saka for a number of weeks as manager Mikel Arteta draws up plans to continue winning without the England star.
Saka was forced off in the first half of Arsenal's win over Crystal Palace at the weekend. "It's not looking good, he's going to be out for weeks. I'm thinking of some ideas to deal with this situation. I don't have a concrete solution yet, but I have some ideas. I want to talk to them and take it in a positive way," Arteta said after the win over Palace.
Saka's absence comes at the Gunners' busiest time of the season, and if he is ruled out until the end of January, it would mean the England striker will miss 10 games in all competitions.
The first three of those games all take place in the space of eight days in early 2025. Arsenal close 2024 with a home game against Ipswich, before starting the new year against Brentford and Brighton respectively.
Arteta’s side then have two cup games to play, with Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Newcastle on 7 January, and an FA Cup third-round tie against Manchester United just five days later.
Arsenal return to Premier League action with a north London derby against Tottenham. Aston Villa visit the Emirates Stadium on January 18, while a Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb will end a run of five consecutive home games for the Gunners.
Arteta's side close January with trips to Wolves and Girona, and with February starting with a home game against Premier League champions Manchester City, Arsenal will be hoping Saka returns in time.
With Raheem Sterling also injured, Arsenal will need to decide whether to enter the transfer market. They have already endured a period without Martin Odegaard, with the Norwegian midfielder missing two months through injury. However, Saka's absence could cause problems in a very different way.
"We will get the best out of every player. Everyone has to feel part of the team. You need to rediscover players in different positions and abilities.
This is a really good challenge and the players need to be ready to do whatever we ask them to do," said the Spanish strategist.
