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Arsenal have suffered another injury setback with Noni Madueke expected to be sidelined for up to two months after damaging his knee in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta confirmed that the winger felt discomfort early in the match but played through the pain until half-time, when he was replaced by Bukayo Saka, who had just returned from a hamstring problem.
"The good news is that it is not an ACL injury, but it is still a frustrating one because Noni had started the season so well," Arteta said after the match.
It is the latest in a long line of injuries for Arsenal this season. Kai Havertz underwent knee surgery after the opening fixture at Manchester United, while Saka strained his hamstring against Leeds. Martin Odegaard suffered a shoulder problem in that same game, an issue he aggravated against Nottingham Forest. William Saliba also pulled up during the warm-up before the defeat to Liverpool, forcing an early substitution.
Gabriel Jesus remains a long-term absentee, while Ben White, Christian Norgaard and summer signing Piero Hincapie have all had fitness concerns.
Madueke's absence will stretch the squad further as Arsenal prepare for a packed schedule of 10 fixtures across the Premier League, Champions League and League Cup before the north London derby against Tottenham, which could mark his return.
Arteta may turn to academy graduate Max Dowman to provide cover for Saka on the right, while Ethan Nwaneri, who has impressed as a No.10, could also be used out wide.
On the opposite flank, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Eberechi Eze are expected to share the workload.
Arteta is set to speak to the media later today, where he is likely to give a further update on Madueke's condition and outline his plans for navigating Arsenal's growing injury list.
