At the end of the first-half of Arsenal's clash against Nottingham Forest, Timber went down clutching his right knee. After receiving treatment, he returned to the field for the second-half but he was quickly replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Following scans and further assessments, the north London outfit later revealed that the Netherlands international ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament – an injury which is set to keep him out of action for a while. Arsenal have certainly suffered in his absence, but Arteta has already laid out the foundations which – in theory – should see him seamlessly reintegrated into the lineup.
Despite not being nearly as impressive as last season, the Gunners have still managed to get a foot in the Premier League title race and remain firmly in the Champions League. So, over the last couple of weeks, Arteta will have learned who is undroppable and who is dispensable.
With that being said, football.london has taken a look at the seven most important players for Arsenal ahead of Timber's eventual return from the sidelines.
Bukayo Saka
Saka, the first name on the team sheet. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise to superstardom in north London and he's expected to play a crucial role in the Arsenal starting lineup for years to come.
The 22-year-old winger, who had never previously donned the armband for his childhood club, was handed his new leadership role when Arteta replaced Martin Odegaard for Kai Havertz during the Gunners' clash against Chelsea at the weekend. Under Saka's captaincy, Arsenal managed to salvage a draw evidencing his enormous influenceGabriel Martinelli
While Saka often steals the limelight – and rightfully so – Martinelli is an incredibly underrated player for Arsenal. The Brazilian complements the Hale End graduate perfectly on the left-wing, bringing plenty of exciting attributes to the table.
Martin Odegaard
Another crucial player for Arsenal. Odegaard is the beating heart of the Gunners' midfield and he's also expected to remain a key fixture in the starting lineup for years to come.
Declan Rice
Despite only joining in the summer, Rice has already made a huge impression. Not only has the 24-year-old displayed his incredible leadership qualities but he's also a very versatile midfield option, with the ability to play as both a six and an eight, which leaves the door open for greater recruitment in the future.
William Saliba
Arsenal almost snatched the Premier League crown from Manchester City last season before Saliba picked up a knock. The Frenchman's ability to keep Erling Haaland, of all people, quiet earlier this month just further proves why he's undroppable for Arteta.
Gabriel Magalhães
Arsenal missed Gabriel when he was dropped at the start of the season. Arteta's experiment without the Brazilian didn't go to plan and, as soon as he returned to the starting lineup, the Gunners looked like an elite outfit again.
Ben White
White has quietly gone under the radar as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League lately – maybe even Europe too. The 26-year-old has made the position his own at Arsenal and, unless he's injured, Arteta very rarely has a reason to replace him in the starting lineup.
Honourable mentions
A few honourable mentions go out to Oleksandr Zinchenko, Thomas Partey and Gabriel Jesus. The trio have all been excellent servants for the club over the last couple of years but, for various reasons, their three positions remain open for improvement – and that's not to say that they don't already offer world-class qualities.
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