There are few players as tenacious as Bukayo Saka and it would have taken a small army to keep him out of Wednesday's north London derby despite his ongoing rehabilitation.
The Arsenal star was pictured watching his teammates train while supporting himself on crutches ahead of their clash with Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium.
Saka, who is usually always present, underwent surgery on his hamstring in December and will be sidelined until March.
He exchanged a hug with a staff member and was joined by fellow treatment table attendant Ethan Nwaneri.
Saka has missed just nine Premier League games in the past four seasons but tore his hamstring in the 5-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in December.
He lasted just 25 minutes at Selhurst Park before mounting and falling to the ground, and has not played since.
It was a huge blow for Mikel Arteta's side, losing the talisman who had scored nine goals and provided 13 assists in all competitions this season.
But the winger had a positive message for fans following his setback, sharing a photo of himself giving a thumbs up in his hospital bed and writing: 'The majority see obstacles, but few see the opportunities. The recovery has begun and I am coming back stronger!
“Thank you all for your messages.”
In Saka's absence, 17-year-old winger Ethan Nwaneri was given the opportunity to shine and his reputation quickly grew until his injury.
Nwaneri, who has already scored three goals in the Carabao Cup this season, was handed his full Premier League debut against Brentford in December – more than two years after first coming off the bench to become the Gunners' youngest-ever player.
His performance against Brentford saw him rewarded with a fresh start against Brighton, and he scored against them after 16 minutes, but he had to come off at half-time due to a muscle problem.
It has been a challenging period for Arteta to navigate due to a spate of injuries and illnesses.
Injuries to Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu have seriously depleted his defensive options. Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz have also been concerned about their illness lately.
To make matters worse, Arsenal confirmed on Tuesday that striker Gabriel Jesus had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee and will require surgery.
Jesus was forced onto a stretcher during Arsenal's departure to Manchester United on Sunday after a first-half clash with Bruno Fernandes. He will miss the rest of the season.
The Arsenal star wore a tribute to Jesus ahead of the match, with his name, number nine, and the words 'stay strong Gabby' on the back.
Arteta suggested Arsenal could enter the transfer market due to their problems.
'We are actively searching the market to improve the selection. It's been that way since day one,” he said ahead of the Spurs game.
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