Arsenal have been dealt yet another injury blow with first-choice left-back Kieran Tierney, who returned from the international break with a fresh knee problem.
The former Celtic man was not able to take part in Monday's dreadful 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Premier League, and backup left-back Nuno Tavares endured a rough 45 minutes before being taken off at half time.
Recent reports have suggested that Tierney could miss the rest of the season amid talk of surgery, with Mikel Arteta offering a pessimistic update at Selhurst Park and affirming that the defender will soon see a specialist.
Arsenal have no fewer than nine Premier League matches left to play in the 2021-22 season, and while they remain in the driving seat for a place in the top four, Tierney's lengthy absence will certainly be felt from here on in.
The Gunners face two relatively friendly fixtures at home to Brighton & Hove Albion and away to Southampton in the next fortnight, but Chelsea are lying in wait at Stamford Bridge on April 20.
Tierney being ruled out for the rest of the season would also force him to miss the visit of Manchester United to the Emirates on April 23, as well as the London derby with West Ham United at the beginning of May.
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As well as the crunch clashes with Chelsea, Man United and West Ham, Tierney is also likely to be unavailable for the North London derby with Tottenham Hotspur on May 12, which could very well determine who nabs the fourth and final Champions League spot.
Arsenal face quick turnarounds in clashes with Leeds United and Newcastle United either side of the North London derby, and they will round off the 2021-22 season with a home tie against Everton on May 22.
With Tavares not even lasting a full hour in his last two starts in an Arsenal shirt, Arteta has some big decisions to make for his side's final nine games of the season - the easiest of which would obviously be to keep faith with Tavares in his familiar 4-2-3-1 setup.
Arteta also possesses the option of reintroducing Rob Holding into a back three and switching Bukayo Saka to a left-wing back role for the remainder of the season, but any time Tierney spends away from the pitch is sure to harm Arsenal's aspirations of a quicker-than-expected return to the Champions League.
Ben Knapton
