Mikel Arteta will be forced into a selection headache with his Arsenal squad reaching breaking point after two devastating injury blows.
Both William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. It leaves Arteta with an even more daunting task as he looks to drag his side back above Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title.
A recent four-game winless run has severley dented their hopes of winning the division for the first time in 19 years. They have closed the gap to one point with wins over Newcastle and Chelsea, though City still have a game in hand.
As if his task could not be any more difficult, Arteta will now have to do without two of his team's best players. The back injury Saliba suffered against Sporting Lisbon will keep him out of the final three games of the season.
And the calf issue Zinchenko suffered against Newcastle appears to be worse than first feared, with the Ukranian also sidelined for an extended period. That does cause a problem for Arteta ahead of games against Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Wolves.
The Spaniard will still be able to call upon first-choice goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale though. The Englishman has impressed between the sticks and is pushing hard to take Jordan Pickford's starting spot in the national team.
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While he was a centre-back last season, Ben White will likely continue at right-back given Takehiro Tomiyasu is also in the treament room. Instead, Jakub Kiwior should continue to partner Gabriel in the centre of defence.
The January signing from Spezia has replaced Rob Holding in Arsenal's last two games, both of which they have won. Meanwhile at left-back, last season's first-choice Kieran Tierney should be given a run of games having lost his place to Zinchenko this term.
Tierney has found it hard to displace the Ukranian, but has been touted as a potential future Gunners captain in the past. In midfield, Arteta has refreshed in recent weeks and that has paid off.
That means Granit Xhaka, Jorginho and Martin Odegaard could continue as the midfield trio, with Thomas Partey left on the bench. Jorginho in particular has impressed in the wins over Chelsea and Newcastle in Partey's place.
Arteta may be tempted to change up-front, with Leandro Trossard pushing for a recall. But Gabriel Martinelli's goal against Newcastle should ensure the Brazilian keeps his starting spot for the time being.
Alongside Martinelli, Saka has cemented his status as one of the Premier League's best wingers this term and will stay on the right wing. And Gabriel Jesus can be expected to continue to lead the attacking line.
Potential Arsenal line-up: Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, Jakub Kiwior, Gabriel, Kieran Tierney; Granit Xhaka, Jorginho, Martin Odegaard; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli
