Mikel Arteta may have to do without Jurrien Timber for the foreseeable future. The Arsenal manager admitted that the full-back would be assessed in the next few days after going off with a knee injury during the 2-1 win over Fulham on Tuesday night.
Back in Premier League action for the first time in more than two weeks, Arsenal picked up a precious three points, but saw both Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes leave the pitch early due to injuries.
Speaking after the game, Arteta said: "We don't know how they're going to be. We'll be assessing them tomorrow and understand better how we are with those two.
"He [Timber] was already struggling very early in the game. He managed to continue, at some point he couldn't. So that's the downside to it."
Any absence for Timber would open the door for Ben White to return to the first team fold. The Englishman was not in the squad against Fulham and has only played nine minutes of Premier League action since the middle of November after undergoing knee surgery.
White would be the perfect Timber replacement, should he be fit enough, but there is a problem with throwing him straight in at right-back, aside from the obvious as to whether he is ready to play 90 minutes or not.
That problem comes with the other injury suffered on Tuesday night.
With Gabriel likely to be ruled out for longer than Timber, given it was a hamstring injury, White may be called upon to fill in at centre-back as opposed to the right-back spot.
White has proven in the past that he can operate at either full-back or as a centre-back and, if fit, could be the logical choice to slot in alongside William Saliba, given Jakub Kiwior's struggles when called upon.
With Takehiro Tomiyasu out until later in 2025 and now Riccardo Calafiori also ruled out, it does not leave Arteta with too many options in the back-line.
Thomas Partey has played at right-back before and could move into that position once more to accommodate White at centre-back, which then gives Arteta another conundrum in the midfield area. Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jorginho are also options to fill either role, although Kiwior playing at centre-back with White at right-back would offer the least upheaval in the side.