If Arsenal had to pick a player who would play the entire season injury-free, Bukayo Saka would be first or second on that list.
Mikel Arteta was previously fortunate that one of his key players has been on the sidelines for so many years.
Over the past three seasons, Saka has missed just 10 of Arsenal's 172 games in all competitions. And since making his Premier League debut six seasons ago, he has never been out of more than one top-flight match at a time due to injury. .
Arsenal are rarely without Saka but now they are on foreign turf as he has now been sidelined for “many weeks” due to a hamstring injury suffered at Crystal Palace.
It is a huge blow given Arsenal's dependence on the England winger. Firstly, his end product is second to none at Arsenal and only a handful of Premier League players have a better influence on their team in terms of goals and assists.
But crucially, Saka plays a key role in Arsenal's game plan. Of all Arsenal's three forwards over the last four seasons, Saka has had more minutes than the next two most present forwards combined.
Not only is he one of Arsenal's main corners alongside Declan Rice – with the Gunners the outright dead-ball experts in all of Europe – but the way Arteta's side push forward also regularly involves Saka.
Nearly 50 percent of Arsenal's future attacks will pass through Saka territory – and that number is increasing every year. This season's 46 percent leniency against the right wing is the biggest reliance of any Premier League team.
“He is a huge player for us,” Arteta said on Monday. “You have to see the impact he has on this team, but it will be a good exercise for all of us to overcome another challenge because we have had a lot this season.
“I'm putting together some ideas, I'm not there yet. But I have a few and then I want to talk to them to understand how we're going to generate that and address it in a positive way. means we will be different.”
Arsenal lost Martin Odegaard to a six-week injury earlier this season and Arteta made no claims that his team needed to change their ways. But it's a different story with Saka, especially as reserve right winger Raheem Sterling also spent weeks on the sidelines with an injury on the training pitch. What could Arsenal's game plan look like now?
The main contenders: Brazilian magic on the right
The most likely player to step in on the right flank for now is Gabriel Martinelli, who was Saka's direct replacement on the right wing in the 5-1 win over Palace.
The Brazilian winger switched flanks from left to right and finished the match with a goal and an assist to his name. Bigger challenges than Palace will test that, but it's worth noting that Martinelli also started on the right wing when Arsenal beat Everton on the final day of last season.
Martinelli shares the same attacking prowess that Saka has when it comes to wide play, with the 23-year-old second only to the Englishman in the record for most one-on-one appearances in the Premier League over the past two-and-a-half seasons.
However, the vast majority of those plays came from the left flank – to the point where just 4.5 percent of his Premier League minutes for Arsenal came from the right flank.
Another player replacing Saka on that wing is Gabriel Jesus, who started Arsenal's 1-0 win over Manchester City last October when the England winger missed the match with a tap-in.
But even so, Jesus has been in good form as a striker for Arsenal over the past week, with five goals in his last two games. Is Arteta weakening another position to fill the Saka gap?
The problem that both Martinelli and Jesus have is that they are right-footed. It's a different option to Saka, whose left-footed threat combined well with the isosceles Odegaard.
Arteta acknowledged this at his press conference on Monday: “We have the opportunity to play with both feet as well. If necessary, a different kind of profile compared to the opposition. So we are working on that.”
The Outsiders: Can Havertz and Trossard intervene?
So is left-footed Kai Havertz ready for the right wing?
Arteta revealed on Monday that he wanted to speak to a large group of players about what this “other” Arsenal could look like. One of the options was to ask the left-footed Havertz to do “other things”.
It would be a bold move considering Havertz has only played as a striker or attacking midfielder since joining from Chelsea 18 months ago, while his ability to win games would also be redundant on the wing.
Arteta also mentioned Leandro Trossard in terms of a contender for the right wing position. The Belgian has a reputation for being two-footed, which would suit Arteta's criteria for the role, but, like Martinelli, is more suited to the left flank.
There are also doubts about Trossard's abilities as a starter; given his form for Arsenal he was much better as a 'super sub'. The Belgian has failed to secure a starting spot on the left wing, scoring just one goal in five starts on that flank.
But Arteta may have no choice but to start Trossard, especially if Martinelli is needed as a right winger in the coming weeks.
And of course there is the transfer period…
So with the cons working with the pros on internal candidates to replace Saka, does that give Arsenal a reason to dive into the transfer market?
Before Saka's injury, the Gunners had a relaxed view of the upcoming January transfer window – they would only enter the market if a summer transfer target became available early, or if injuries forced their hand.
With Sterling also injured, injuries mean Arsenal are back on the right wing. But Arteta admitted this week that they were preparing more for a potential defender – with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu suffering long-term injuries this season – rather than moving further forward.
“If something needs to be done, we are open to it,” said Arteta. “But the main focus now is: how do we still get the structure with the potential in this team?”
Arsenal have had a mixed relationship with the January window under Arteta. In Odegaard, Trossard and Jorginho they have been chasing goals at times – but last summer they stuck with what they had – and came within two points of the title.
With options like Marcus Rashford on the market, it could be tempting. But history could say that Arteta will rely on cover already in place at the club ahead of a crucial moment in the season.
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