Mikel Arteta has two weeks to work out how he is going to manage Declan Rice’s suspension.
The England international was shown a red card by Chris Kavanagh during last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Rice’s sending-off came from him receiving a second yellow card for preventing play following a strange incident also involving Brighton’s Joel Veltman.
The 25-year-old’s suspension will see him ruled out for one match but set to miss the North London Derby against bitter-rivals Spurs, the midfielder’s exclusion could not have come at a worse time for Arteta.
The Spanish manager is forced to consider changing his lineup to accommodate for Rice’s absence.
Raheem Sterling is in line to make his debut following his Deadline Day loan from Chelsea but the winger could start his Arsenal career in an unfamiliar position.
According to a recent report from GiveMeSport, upon the current international break ending, Arteta could start Sterling as a False 9 with Kai Havertz dropping back into midfield.
The German’s versatility allows for him to play in multiple positions and midfield is one he’s used to having played there a lot during his first season at the Emirates.
Should Havertz move to midfield, the German will play behind Martin Odegaard and alongside either Jorginho or Thomas Partey with Sterling asked to lead the line with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on either side.
The North London Derby, which will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, is set to kick off at 2 p.m. (UK time) on the 15th of September and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
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