The worse thing happened to the Gunners – Bukayo Saka got injured. This information overshadowed the fact that Arsenal finally won after two dissapointing Premier League draws as Saka is arguably their best player. The England international lasted only 24 minutes in a 5-1 win over Crystal Palace and footage showed that he left the stadium in crunches. Not good at all. Coach Mikel Arteta confirmed it was a hamstring issue and admitted he is really worried about his best player. It‘s the third hamstring injury of the season sustained by the winger. His first one happened on international duty for England against Greece on October 10, which saw him miss Arsenal’s Premier League match against Bournemouth nine days later. He then sustained the same injury again — it’s unclear to which leg — against Chelsea on November 10. Saka missed two UEFA Nations League games for England, before returning against Nottingham Forest on November 23. And now this one, which looks the worst.Saka leaving Palace on crutches, not looking great #arsenal pic.twitter.com/N3Jnd7bS8x— Joao Castelo-Branco (@j_castelobranco) December 21, 2024 So, the main question for the Gunners and Arteta in particular is – who will replace Saka and his contribution (nine goals, 13 assists so far in all competition)? The more likely option is the ‘in house‘ replacement, while a January buy is the second option, if Saka‘s injury proves to be a more serious one. For starters, Martinelli could be that replacement, but the Brazilian would be force to move to the right side, while his prefered position is on the left. The other, more likely version would be Gabriel Jesus. Even England legend Alan Shearer this so.”Saka’s injury is a huge loss for Arsenal. Not only will they miss the goals he scores, but also his assists. That’s why I think it’s crucial for Gabriel Jesus to step up and try to fill Bukayo Saka’s role. He’s had a tough period, but I think Mikel Arteta deserves credit for what happened last week. Jesus scored goals and you can see he believes in what he’s doing. He’s been excellent in training, and Arteta had to put him in the starting lineup, which he repaid with goals. It’s no surprise. He’s a versatile player, and in the league match against Palace, he was very good. He brought his teammates into play, showed his speed again, and feels good. He feels like he belongs in this team” Shearer said clearly.Gabriel ‘Eagle-killer’ Jesus runs Arsenal’s riots against PalaceBut what if the injury is a longer one? If it‘s only a few weeks, Jesus or even Raheem Sterling could help (also injured at the moment). After all, the Gunners have a nice schedule until January, with matches against Ipswich Town, Brentford and Brighton through to the New Year. Intensity will then ramp up again mid-January with an FA Cup clash against Manchester United, followed by league meetings with Spurs and Aston Villa. But, by then, Saka should be back, or a replacement could be bought. Speaking of those, neither could come cheap, not only because it‘s January transfer window, but also because we are talking about quality players. Bryan Mbeumo is Brentford‘s best player and is a winger, who could also play as a forward if needed. Jamie Gittens is a rising star and looks like Jadon Sancho, who came to Borussia Dortmund and made a name for himself. He could also be a young, exciting backup for the left side as well, as he is playing as left winger for the German team. The third target is the most versatile of them all – Mohammed Kudus. The Ghana midfielder playing for West Ham can play in all positions in midfield, either as the winger of even as the attacking midfielder (which could come handy in case Odegaard gets injured again).##NAJAVA_MECA_8586415##
