It's not what Mikel Arteta wanted for Christmas. Arsenal star Bukayo Saka suffered a torn hamstring in the Gunners' emphatic 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday, ruling him out for 'many weeks'. Saka's absence comes ahead of a huge run of games for Arsenal, who still hope to win the Premier League title, despite their autumn slump.
The Gunners play Ipswich, Brentford and Brighton in their next three league games, and then comes two huge cup ties. Arteta's men welcome Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-finals five days before hosting Manchester United in the FA Cup. Then it's the small matter of the north London Derby before clashes with Aston Villa and Dinamo Zagreb to round out five consecutive home games.
Having already lost Martin Odegaard for an extended period, coinciding with their dip in form, fans are worried about what Saka's absence could do for their season, especially after Arteta suggested that they won't be signing a replacement in January.
With that in mind, here are four ways that Arsenal could line up without him. For starters, it's highly unlikely that we'll see Arsenal in any other shape than a 4-3-3. Yes, Arteta has used a 4-2-3-1 formation during his managerial career but the principles remain the same; two wingers and one striker.
