Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could be missing a full team of players for Saturday's Premier League clash with Bournemouth, as multiple injury victims were not seen in Thursday's batch of training images.
The Gunners head to the Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening knowing that victory would take them above Liverpool and Manchester City into first place in the top-flight table before their title rivals play on Sunday.
Arteta's side went into the October international break on a four-match victorious run across all competitions, and they have not lost any of their 10 competitive games so far this season, going unbeaten in 16 overall.
However, after the Gunners were handed concerns over Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard in the September international break, Arteta will be left cursing the October window too, as numerous new issues have now emerged.
Ghana's Thomas Partey and Germany's Kai Havertz were both forced to withdraw from their national teams, while England's Bukayo Saka and Brazil's Gabriel Martinelli both sustained injuries to their hamstrings and calves respectively.
Saka, Martinelli among Arsenal players missing from training images
Even though reports have claimed that Partey, Saka and Havertz are in with good chances of being fit, the quartet were among several players not seen in Thursday's batch of training images, raising doubts about their availability.
Arsenal are also known to be without captain Odegaard, who has allegedly suffered a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury and could be out of action until December, so it was no surprise to see him missing from the training pictures.
Additionally, hamstring victim Kieran Tierney was not snapped, although he is not thought to be in Arteta's plans anyway, while Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jurrien Timber were nowhere to be seen either.
Fellow defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, who made his first appearance of the season against Southampton two weekends ago, was also missing from the images following reports that he had also suffered a complication in his brief cameo against the Saints.
Finally, second-choice goalkeeper Neto is not believed to be carrying an injury, but the Bournemouth loanee is ineligible to face his parent club and could represent the 11th absentee for the Gunners at the Vitality Stadium.
Which Arsenal players could benefit from injury crisis?
Just because players were not pictured in training does not mean that they will not be available; Arteta always keeps his cards incredibly close to his chest when asked for team news updates in press conferences and would always want his injury victims to be kept out of camera shot too.
Whether the Spaniard is already engaging in mind games only he and his close confidants know, but at present, Arsenal have no fewer than 10 injury concerns for the trip to Bournemouth, plus Neto's ineligibility.
The Brazilian's absence may see 16-year-old Jack Porter make the bench, as Tommy Setford is also working his way back from his own issue, while 17-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly is an option at left-back if Calafiori is required on the right in an emergency.
Maiden Premier League starts could also come the way of Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino in the middle of the park if Partey, Havertz and Odegaard are all ruled out, although Jorginho appears to be ahead of both in the pecking order at present.
Nwaneri would also be an option up top to deputise for Saka, although Arteta could still put out a formidable attacking trident of Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling at Bournemouth. body check tags ::
