Bukayo Saka will be out for at least two months following his surgery for muscle injury. Per Mikel Arteta after the match against Arsenal's victory over Ipswich Town: "I rather leave this one to the doctor. But he had surgery, everything went well and unfortunately, he will be out for several, several weeks. I think it'll be more than two months".
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Losing Saka is a big blow to Arsenal, given he has provided consistent creativity and precision to the attack with nine goals and 13 assists this season. Now, Arteta faces the challenge of finding solutions within the team to stay competitive in the Premier League.
How Arteta plans to cope without Saka
Arteta has already given an answer, that the solution to the problem lies within this current squad: "I believe Saka's replacement will come from within the team, especially this attacking unit.
Against Ipswich, Arteta preferred to start Trossard instead of Saka, shifting Gabriel Martinelli to the right side. On Martinelli's new role, Arteta explained, "He [Martinelli] always needs to be on the last line when the ball is on his side and he needs people close to him because he's very intuitive. There are things that we can improve.
It showed the confidence of Arteta in his team's versatility, but the next games will determine whether that faith can trickle into results.
Challenges in the Premier League and title hopes for Arsenal
Arsenal currently lies second in the league standings with 36 points from 18 matches, but Liverpool leads by six points and a game in hand. This means every match now will hold extra importance, and Arsenal really can't afford to slip up.
With Saka unavailable, it will be left to the likes of Havertz, Odegaard, and Martinelli to dig deep. The game at Brentford will be the first real test of whether the team can rally around this setback and continue to be in the title hunt.
Will the January transfer window come as relief?
While Arteta has professed confidence in the current squad, there may be opportunities in the January transfer window. Signing an out-and-out replacement for Saka would be challenging, but perhaps the signing of a versatile forward or midfielder would take the pressure off these players.
If Arsenal struggles in the coming weeks, the club may have to go back on its word about not making any moves in the market. Until then, they'll have to rely on tactical adjustments and teamwork to push through this critical period.
A test of Arsenal's resilience
Saka's injury will test Arsenal on more fronts than one. Other than tactically, it is a test of mental strength and adaptability. As Arteta said, "There are things we can improve." That approach will be key in navigating the weeks ahead.
Should Arsenal ride the storm and hold on to the top two, then Saka's eventual return might give them fresh impetus. Should this unravel, though, perhaps this injury might be remembered as the moment their title hopes were seriously hit.