Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his belief that the absence of Bukayo Saka will make him a better coach - and says his players are willing to do anything and everythint to get by in the talismanic winger's absence.
The Gunners are set to face a series of matches, likely to extend into double figures, without Saka when they host Ipswich at the Emirates on Friday.
Ahead of the match, Arteta confirmed that the England winger, who boasts nine goals and 13 assists this season, will be out for "many weeks" due to a hamstring injury sustained in Arsenal’s 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend.
This comes just a month after captain Martin Odegaard returned from a 12-match absence due to an ankle issue.
Raheem Sterling, who would naturally replace Saka, is also set to miss some time following a knee injury in training.
However, when questioned if these challenges will enhance his managerial skills, Arteta responded: "I think so, yes. We started the season with one of the thinnest squads in the Premier League, and we knew that.
"If we have the thinnest squad, what do we need? We really dug into that to make sure that we utilise every player in the best possible potential, and everybody has to feel part of it.
"You need to rediscover players in different positions, and different relationships. It’s a really good exercise and the boys are willing to do anything we demand them to do, so that’s a really good thing, too."
Arteta is bracing for a crucial period in the club's season, with a packed January schedule that includes a high-stakes north London derby against Tottenham, an FA Cup battle with Manchester United, and the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final showdown with Newcastle.
This comes as the team prepare to wrap up 2024 with a home match against Ipswich.
The relentless pace of football's calendar has come under intense scrutiny, with players like Manchester City's Rodri - who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in September - voicing concerns about the sheer volume of games.
Arteta weighed in on the debate: "It (the fixture list) is unsustainable unless we can find ways to physically turn the players into monsters who can cope with anything.
"The fact that you train and recover, that’s not a good pattern because the body needs to train, the muscle needs to train. If you just play and recover you start to lose a lot of factors in your body that are key to physical performance.
"Not just to play not to get injured, but to become a better athlete, which is very different, and to keep evolving as an athlete.
"I hope the players are being listened to but whoever is in charge, can they actually do something right now with the commitments that are already in place over the next three or four seasons? It is very challenging and very difficult."