Arsenal, who currently sit top of the Premier League table with a game in hand and a five-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City, are preparing to face Guardiola's men in the FA Cup this Friday. However, while confidence is at an all-time high at the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta has dropped a worrying update ahead of that upcoming tie.
As mentioned earlier, the North London giants have done remarkably well in the first half of the Premier League season and are in a strong position to lift the top-flight title. With 50 points from their first 19 games, Arteta will hope to become the first manager to win the league since Wenger back in 2004.
However, a concerning injury has taken place at the club and with the manager facing reporters for the FA Cup 4th round tie, the Spanish tactician was quizzed on it. This revolves around Mohamed Elneny, who is one of the few midfield options at Mikel's disposal.
The Egyptian ace has missed the Gunners' last two games after picking up a knee injury and while much wasn't initially thought about this update, speculation has emerged claiming it is more serious than predicted.
In fact, when asked if Elneny might be out for the rest of the season, Arteta hinted that this could be a possibility. Here is what the Arsenal manager said in response to that question, as per Goal:
"There are concerns, especially (because) Mo is a player who never complains about anything. He had some issues with his knee that we are assessing at the moment and we will have to see how he evolves."
Mikel went a step further and admitted they are on the lookout for a new midfielder but added that it is difficult to find players in January, especially given that there is only one week left in the window.
"Well, we need some more cover in midfield ideally if we can. In this market it's pretty complicated to do that. If there's anything else available that can make us better we'll look at it," the Spanish tactician added.
While Elneny is not a key figure in Mikel's starting eleven, the Egyptian ace is—or at least has been—a reliable deputy to Thomas Partey. While the Ghanaian star has mostly stayed healthy all season, any injury issue to the former Atletico Madrid ace will leave Arteta with the inexperienced Sambi Lokonga as his only option for the no.6 role.
Jakub Kiwior, alongside Leandro Trossard, moved to North London this month and while the Polish center-back has played as a defensive midfielder back at Spezia, Arsenal might struggle to maintain their title challenge if a center-back is forced to deputize for Partey.
Additionally, the Premier League leaders are also competing in the UEFA Europa League and will need more options if they are to go far in Europe.
The club has been linked with a host of midfielders this month, namely Everton's Amadou Onana and Brighton's Moises Caicedo. However, both have been slapped with a hefty price tag, and with Edu and Co. prioritizing a move for Declan Rice this summer, the team will struggle to afford both.
