Arsenal have a midfield problem, amid speculation about a certain Granit Xhaka.
The Gunners kick off their FA Cup campaign with a visit to Championship outfit Nottingham Forest on Sunday evening.
Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny are unavailable due to the Africa Cup of Nations.
And with Ainsley Maitland-Niles potentially joining Italian outfit Roma, it leaves Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta short on options.
However, the situation could be even worse than that.
That’s because Football London has reported that Granit Xhaka has missed training every single day this week, exacerbating Arteta’s problem.
Albert Sambi Lokonga, who joined Arsenal from Anderlecht in Belgium last summer, might be the only recognised and senior midfielder available for the Spanish trainer this weekend.
Banana skin
Nobody has won this competition more than the Emirates Stadium club since 2014.
Arsenal have won it on four occasions in eight years – including 2020 when Arteta masterminded a successful journey.
The Gunners certainly have a fondness for this tournament, having won it more times than anybody in England overall, but Forest are a capable side.
And Arsenal could be walking into a banana skin, particularly without so many established midfielders missing.
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