The Londoners have been rocked with a major casualty ahead of their Boxing Day showdown with Brighton Hove & Albion.
Arsenal attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss six weeks of action following a fractured metatarsal in his right foot, the club announced on Monday.
He was substituted at half-time during the Gunners 2-0 defeat against city rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup quarterfinals at the Emirates Stadium last Wednesday.
The 29-year-old received treatment following a tackle from Lucas Moura in the 30th minute and played out the remainder of the half.
He will miss clashes with the league leaders Liverpool and Chelsea, with the enthralling clash against Manchester City on February 3 arguably too soon for a comeback.
The Gunners defensive troubles is worsening, with Nacho Monreal a doubt for Brighton after a right hamstring issue forced him off in the first half against Burnley.
Shkodran Mustafi though is expected to return to full training this week, after missing the club’s last four outings following a hamstring injury
