Arsenal temporarily begin life without Bukayo Saka when Ipswich Town arrive at the Emirates for Friday's Premier League showdown.

The England international suffered a torn hamstring in the weekend's 5-1 thrashing of London rivals Crystal Palace, and Mikel Arteta has conceded that it will be "many weeks" before he can return to the fold.

Saka is one of four guaranteed absences for the hosts on Friday, as fellow attacker Raheem Sterling has picked up a knee problem, and similar issues are keeping Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu on the sidelines.

Arteta is still not bereft of options to replace Saka on the right flank - Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri are both contenders - but the revitalised Gabriel Jesus must surely be the first port of call.

The Brazilian followed up his EFL Cup hat-trick against Palace with a double on Saturday evening, and he could shift over to the right flank if Kai Havertz returns to the number nine role as expected.

Havertz began in midfield at Selhurst Park, but only because Declan Rice was spared after his recent injury; the Englishman should now rejoin Martin Odegaard in the centre after his goal and assist off the bench last time out.

One player who might return from injury on Friday is Oleksandr Zinchenko (muscle), and Arteta can be expected to make a change at left-back, but it will be the fit-again Riccardo Calafiori replacing Myles Lewis-Skelly rather than the Ukrainian.

With Brentford to come on New Year's Day, Arteta should not be averse to tinkering his personnel, meaning that Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard could be the beneficiaries of some rotation.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Rice, Merino; Jesus, Havertz, Trossard body check tags ::