If media reports are true that hamstring injuries will rule out Gabriel Martinelli for a month and Kai Havertz for the rest of the season, Mikel Arteta will be left with a limited number of options in Arsenal's attack.
As the Gunners prepare for Saturday's Premier League trip to Leicester City, we look at the players who could play up front in that match and beyond, in the absence of Havertz, Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Bukayo Saka.
Leandro Trossard (30 years old)
The Belgian winger has shown his flexibility playing across Arteta's favoured front three, including minutes as a "false nine".
This role meant he dropped deep to allow players such as Havertz to make late runs from a left-sided No 8 position. Could Trossard do this with Mikel Merino making those late runs?
Trossard's positions by minutes 2024/25
Ethan Nwaneri (17)
The teenager has largely featured on the right, filling in the Saka-shaped hole and doing well, including a stunning goal last time out against Manchester City.
Arteta has spoken recently of Nwaneri playing as a No 9 but suggested that would happen later in his career.
"Ethan can play as a right attacking midfielder, left attacking midfielder, and as a right winger, and there is another position he can develop into in a few years time: nine," said Arteta in December.
"[When] he’s got the goal in front of him, he just looks at the goal. He has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net."
Nwaneri's positions by minutes 2024/25
Raheem Sterling (30)
After only three starts in the Premier League this season since joining on loan from Chelsea (and six further appearances off the bench), the experienced winger is set to feature more.
He did play as a "false nine" under Pep Guardiola at Man City a few years ago, scoring 20 league goals in 2019/20. Pep persevered with this plan on occasions until Sterling's exit to Chelsea in the summer of 2023.
Sterling's positions by minutes (2021/22-2022/23)
Nathan Butler-Oyedeji (22)
The Arsenal academy graduate has appeared more frequently on the first-team bench this season, getting a late run-out in the 3-0 UEFA Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb. He has scored seven goals for the Gunners in Premier League 2, and won the PL2 Player of the Month award in August.
Butler-Oyedeji has also had loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Cheltenham Town, but failed to get on the scoresheet in 24 appearances in total for these two lower-league clubs.
Mikel Merino (28)
The Spanish midfielder has largely played as a left-sided No 8 since arriving from Real Sociedad in the summer, but this was also Havertz’s position before the German became Arsenal’s No 9 last season.
Might Arteta be tempted to replicate Havertz’s transformation, using the 28-year-old’s physical presence?
Arsenal's attacking alternatives
| All Competitions 24/25 | Goals | Assists | Apps. |
| Nwaneri | 7 | 0 | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trossard | 5 | 6 | 36 |
| Merino | 2 | 1 | 26 |
| Sterling | 1 | 2 | 18 |
| Butler-Oyedeji | 0 | 0 | 1 |