'I'm putting some ideas together' - Arteta suffers blow with hamstrung Saka out for ‘many weeks’ 

Asked about the 23-year-old England international’s condition, Arteta said: “It is not looking good. He will be out for many weeks.”

Saka was filmed leaving Selhurst Park on crutches, souring what had been a comprehensive second win over the Eagles in four days after Gabriel Jesus’ hat-trick secured Arsenal’s passage to the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Arteta said after Saturday’s match: “He felt something in his hamstring. He couldn’t continue. He will have to be assessed, so I’m pretty worried about that one.

“It’s very difficult to (give a prognosis) now. They have tested him inside but it’s very difficult to say how bad it is.

“We lost Raheem (Sterling) yesterday (Friday), we don’t know for how long as well, so to lose two players in 24 hours is not good.

“Unfortunately with the amount of games that we are playing, every three days with this schedule, it doesn’t surprise me, but the team will react to that.”

Asked how Arsenal will cope in his Saka's absence, Arteta said: "I'm putting some ideas together. I haven't got there yet. But I have a few. Then I want to speak with them [the players] too, to understand how to generate that and use it in a positive way, because it means we're going to be different.

"We went through the period with Martin [Odegaard] and the period with five, six defenders missing. We're taking it with positive energy.

"We started the season with one of the thinnest squads in the Premier League. We knew that.

"OK, so what do we need? I really dig into that, you know?

"To make sure that we utilise every player to their best potential. Everyone has to feel part of it, you need to rediscover players in different positions, relationships, it's a great one. It's a good exercise.

"And the boys are willing, so that's a really good thing as well.