The Gunners make the short trip to Tottenham Hotspur this weekend as the Premier League returns after international action.
Arsenal are set to be without a key trio of first team stars for this weekend's visit to Tottenham Hotspur in what is somewhat of a derby day crisis for Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing draw against Brighton at the Emirates Stadium last time out but a traditionally feisty meeting with Spurs was already a tricky fixture to regain form in. Now, the title challengers will also have to contend with a new look starting XI and squad for the short trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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Arsenal knew that they would be without midfield linchpin Declan Rice for the derby before the international break began. The England man was sent off against the Seagulls last time out for two yellow cards, the second booking coming in a controversial moment as the player nudged the ball away before a Brighton free-kick.
Arteta poured scorn on that decision at the time. The manager said: "I was amazed. Amazed, amazed, amazed because of how inconsistent decisions can be. In the first half, there are two incidents and nothing happens.
"Then, in a non-critical area, the ball hits Declan [on the back of his leg], he turns around, he doesn't see the player coming and he touches the ball. By law, he can make that call, but then by law he needs to make the next call, which is a red card so we play 10 vs 10. This is what amazed me. At this level it's amazing."
Arteta will now be lamenting the decision to send off his £100 million man even more amid news that club captain Martin Odegaard could be facing a spell on the sidelines with injury. The 25-year-old, who cost the Gunners £30 million to buy from Real Madrid in 2021, has been involved in action for Norway this week but picked up an ankle injury against Austria.
Odegaard was seen on crutches when boarding a plane back to London after the incident with Norway head coach Stale Solbakken admitting the injury 'looked back' - perhaps suggesting time in the treatment room past this weekend's derby too.
A third and expensive blow comes in the availability of £42 million summer signing Riccardo Calafiori. The defender has also had a torrid international break, picking up an injury while on duty for Italy.
Calafiori had to be substituted in a match against France on Friday night. That injury is thought to be less serious but an immediate return against Spurs this weekend seems ambitious for the 22-year-old.