The sight of Bukayo Saka limping off against Nottingham Forest was the one downside of Arsenal's 5-0 win at the weekend.
Having claimed an assist for Gabriel Martinelli's goal which broke the deadlock, the England international's afternoon was curtailed just before the half hour mark as following two rounds of treatment from club doctor Gary O'Driscoll the decision was made for him to be replaced.
A stunning Reiss Nelson cameo in addition to goals from Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard ensured the Gunners didn't miss a beat without Saka but, as expected, fans were slightly more concerned with the 21-year-old's injury rather than returning to the top of the Premier League table.
READ MORE: Bukayo Saka injury latest: Chelsea 'return', time frame, World Cup chances, Mikel Arteta hope
It's not just Arsenal supporters sweating on the winger's fitness ahead of games against FC Zurich, Chelsea, Brighton and Wolves this month but England manager Gareth Southgate too as the Three Lions begin their World Cup campaign against Iran in just under three weeks' time.
Now, there has been some positive news regarding the winger since the Forest game finished. Firstly, Mikel Arteta delivered the following update: "Hopefully not," he replied when asked if Saka is a doubt for the World Cup. "It was a bad kick. Right from the beginning he was limping, but I don’t see any further than that. Let’s see how he is in the next couple of days. I think both [foot or ankle]. He got kicked a few times and he wasn’t comfortable."
And, as per our friends at the Mirror, the fact that Saka was able to leave the Emirates Stadium on Sunday walking freely as well as being spotted in the players' lounge afterward could be an indication that he has not suffered a major blow. Furthermore, the report states that Arsenal will assess his fitness and make a final judgment ahead of the final Europa League Group fixture against Zurich on Thursday night.
Whilst the north London outfit need a result against the Swiss opposition to avoid a knockout play-off round fixture against a third-placed Champions League team when the competition resumes in the new year, it wouldn't be a surprise if Saka isn't risked with the Chelsea game three days in mind.
Should Arteta take this approach then thanks to spending £82m in the summer transfer window, three of four immediate solutions to replace Saka against Zurich are staring him right in the face. Fabio Vieira's versatility has been spoken about in great detail following his arrival from Porto as he is an option out wide as well as in central midfield.
"We are already trying him in different positions in training," Arteta told football.london, when asked what position he saw the 22-year-old playing. "He's played on the left, right, as a false nine and an attacking midfielder, so it's good. He doesn't want to be locked in any one position because he's so used to it, and that's a really positive thing for us."
Fellow summer signing Marquinhos has already caught the eye against Zurich this season, scoring and claiming an assist on his first competitive appearance for the club on matchday one, whilst Gabriel Jesus can operate as a right-winger having done so under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Beyond those three players, Nelson appears favourite to get the nod if Saka doesn't feature on Thursday. After all, the 22-year-old seized his opportunity with a brace and assist against Forest and deserves another start as Arsenal look to win their Europa League group.
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