After 44 long days, Arsenal will return to competitive action and resume their Premier League title pursuit with a London derby against West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on Boxing Day.
Signing off for World Cup duty with a 2-0 win over Wolves on November 12, Gunners manager Mikel Arteta had a near fully fit first-team squad at his disposal as Emile Smith Rowe was the sole injury casualty after undergoing groin surgery earlier in the season with the hope of being fit for the restart.
The good news is that the Arsenal attacking midfielder has been in training during the break, but his return has coincided with Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson facing spells on the sidelines with knee and hamstring injuries respectively which means they will play no part on Boxing Day.
