With the north London derby on the horizon, Arsenal have a notable issue to solve. Indeed, Mikel Arteta will be without key midfield men, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino.
The Englishman will miss the trip to Tottenham Hotspur after picking up a controversial red card during the Gunners' 1-1 draw with Brighton, while summer signing Merino is yet to play for the club having suffered an injury in one of his first training sessions, and will be out for around two months in total. Adding to the problems. club captain Odegaard then suffered a twisted ankle for Norway during the week and has since been spotted on crutches.
As such, Arteta will need to work out which members of his squad will make up his midfield for the game against bitter rivals Spurs. With that in mind, here are three possible ways he could line up on Sunday.
First Possible Line-Up
Jorginho and Havertz in for stability
This would perhaps be the most conservative shout for Arteta. Essentially, Rice would be swapped out for Jorginho, although the Italian would be expected to play closer to Thomas Partey – as opposed to being box-to-box, as Rice often is when playing alongside the Ghanaian.
With these highly technical but not necessarily athletic players in the team, it would make sense to play Jurrien Timber at left-back ahead of Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Dutchman offers a little more robustness, as Wout Weghorst discovered during the international break. The other alternative would be Riccardo Calafiori, but the Italian is now a doubt after getting injured vs France.
Another change from the draw against Brighton would see Leandro Trossard come out of the starting XI and Gabriel Martinelli come in again. Although the Belgian is in far better form, the Brazilian offers the sort of speed that could wreak havoc on the Tottenham high line, and without Rice's legs in midfield and on the left side of the pitch, Arteta may prefer to have someone with more athletism on the pitch.
However, this setup would also rely on the fitness of Gabriel Jesus. He has yet to start this season and has spent the last two games out injured. But after the intentional break, he may be able to come back in, allowing Kai Havertz to drop into midfield to replace Odegaard – who would be tasked with duel-winning and providing goalscoring threat, as opposed to the creative stuff the Norway star usually does.
Second Possible Line-Up
Zinchenko in midfield
As mentioned before, with Italian Calafiori yet to start a game for the Gunners, it's far more likely Timber will get the nod for this game. The Dutch defender has shown a willingness to step centrally as an inverted fullback in games so far, but may be able to prioritise the defensive side of the game against Spurs.
Indeed, this could be the case if Zinchenko starts in midfield, playing alongside Jorginho and Partey, with Odegaard's more attacking role then abandoned. The former Man City man has never really played that role for the Gunners before, but often does for his country and this was his preferred position before being adapted to play as an invested left-back.
This midfield three would allow the team to play with more solidity while hoping the attacking players can still provide plenty of goal threat. Martinelli would be trusted again in this case, with his speed on the counter a bigger threat to the Tottenham defence. Havertz would lead the line, trying to hold up the ball with his physicality, while Bukayo Saka would be the danger man from his usual role out wide on the right.
Third Possible Line-Up
Saka in midfield, Sterling makes debut
This would be a bold call but there can be little doubting Saka's intelligence as a footballer. Combine this with his technical ability, and he could be the best man in the squad to learn on the job and take over from Odegaard. The winger has played centrally before, but very rarely – and more often on the left side.
The Englishman might not have the same delicate touches as his captain, but he could still cause plenty of threat, getting on the ball, dribbling past players, and bursting into space from a more central area.
This could also open up the space on the right flank for Raheem Sterling to make his debut. With the speed and athleticism of those two, there would be less need for Martinelli, meaning Trossard could come in. He could also rotate with Saka to come in centrally when needed and help in that area of the pitch. Partey and Jorginho would once again be asked to hold the fort at the base of midfield.
Fourth Possible Line-Up
Nwaneri's moment to shine
If Arteta wanted to throw caution to the wind and really take a chance, he could opt for this bold set-up Once again asking his players to line up in the preferred 4-3-3, he could put his faith in the supremely talented Ethan Nwaneri. The 17-year-old is viewed as the next big thing in north London and as the saying goes: 'If you are good enough, you're old enough.'
The likes of Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fabregas established themselves at a similar age, so this could be Nwaneri's chance to prove his wonderkid credentials. With Partey and Jorginho behind, and Saka, Havertz and Trossard in front, there would be plenty of experience around the youngster to help him through the occasion.
It would be a risky play from Arteta, but Nwaneri is probably the most like Odegaard in the whole squad, so it could be a more seamless transition than changing formation or more personnel. Regardless of formation, David Raya, Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will have to be faultless to keep the door shut at the back.