Mikel Arteta has less than a week to work out how to replace Christos Tzolis in the Arsenal starting lineup.
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, reacts with Noni Madueke of Arsenal during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC at Emirates Stadium on September 06, 2026 in London, England
Mikel Arteta needs to find a replacement for Christos Tzolis.(Image: Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Arsenal could be without Christos Tzolis for as many as four games, so Mikel Arteta needs to find a replacement. The Gunners winger suffered a hamstring injury during Greece's 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League, and, despite wanting to play on, he was substituted in the 18th minute.
Shortly before he was replaced by Giorgos Masouras at the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, Tzolis thought he had fired Ivan Jovanovic's side into the lead, but he was adjudged to have been offside. A few moments later, the 24-year-old felt tightness in the back of his right thigh.
football.london understands that initial tests conducted by the national team's medical staff indicate Tzolis could be out of action for 15 to 20 days. However, medical staff at the Sobha Realty Training Centre are reluctant to put a timeline on the Greek star's condition until they get him on the treatment table.
If it turns out Tzolis does, in fact, require two to three weeks on the sidelines, Arteta will need to find an in-house replacement. Fortunately for the Spaniard, he and Andrea Berta have built one of the strongest squads in the Premier League, so he'll be spoilt for choice.
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So, with that being said, football.london has looked at four ways Arsenal could replace Tzolis.
Noni Madueke
Madueke made five appearances on the left for Arsenal last season. The Gunners winger has generally struggled to impress since swapping Stamford Bridge for the Emirates Stadium last year, but he did manage to get on the scoresheet against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League 'league phase'.
Shortly before the break, Leandro Trossard suffered an injury, so Madueke was thrown on to mirror Bukayo Saka. The England international also featured on the left a few times for Chelsea and PSV Eindhoven, so he wouldn't exactly be tasked with playing an alien role in the frontline.
Eberechi Eze
Eze appears to be the most qualified candidate to replace Tzolis, but Arteta appears to prefer deploying him centrally. Since joining Arsenal from Crystal Palace last year, he's struggled to cement himself into the starting lineup, so there may not be a better opportunity to display his credentials.
Max Dowman
If Arteta would rather roll the dice, he could always give Dowman a chance on the left. The Hale End prospect usually plays on the right or as an attacking midfielder, so he'd likely have to make quite the impression in training to leapfrog Madueke and Eze in the pecking order.
Viktor Gyokeres
If Arteta would rather experiment with an outlet, tasked with stretching the opposition backline and exploiting space behind the right-back, assuming the opposition leaves the comfort of their 18-yard box, Gyokeres could be an interesting option.
The Arsenal flop has actually played on the left in the past, though not in the top flight, during stints at St. Pauli in Bundesliga 2, Brighton in Premier League 2, and IF Brommapojkarna in the Swedish third tier.