Arsenal handed injury nightmare as it is confirmed Mikel Arteta is without a key player for crunch fixtures

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Arsenal have endured some rotten luck this season with controversial red cards and unfortunate injuries, it seems that luck is showing no signs of letting up.

Mikel Arteta was hoping to use the mid-season break for his squad to rest following a gruelling fixture schedule in January and allow time for players to return from injuries and niggles.

Ben White has returned to Arsenal training in a much-needed boost for the Gunners whilst Bukayo Saka has also travelled to Dubai to step up his recovery from a hamstring injury.

However, the good news end there for Arsenal as the news that the club and its fans feared has finally been confirmed.

READ MORE: Bukayo Saka delivers, fan unrest and a key player dropped – five Arsenal predictions for the rest of 24/25 season

Gabriel Martinelli ruled out for over a month with Hamstring injury for Arsenal

According to David Ornstein on his X account, Arsenal are set to be without forward Gabriel Martinelli for over a month after sustaining a hamstring injury against Newcastle.

Mikel Arteta confirmed Martinelli was set for a scan and now it has been confirmed that the scan did not reveal good news for Arsenal and the Brazilian.

Martinelli is set to miss fixtures against Leicester, West Ham and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, whilst he is now also a doubt for the last-16 tie of the Champions League.

Arsenal’s opponents are yet to be confirmed in Europe however, there is now a huge change that they will be missing Martinelli’s pace on the counter attack – a weapon used to great effect in the Champions League.

Arsenal are now down to just four fit senior forward players

The timing of Martinelli’s injury could not have come at a worse time for Arteta, the transfer window has just slammed shut with no reinforcements through the door.

Saka is not set to return until March at the earliest and Gabriel Jesus will not play again this season following surgery on an acl injury.

It means that the Gunners have just four fit forwards to now call upon in Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, young star Ethan Nwaneri and the inconsistent Raheem Sterling.

Sterling must now take responsibility and perform for Arteta given his experience and Arsenal’s desperate need for him to fire under extreme availability concerns.