Arsenal are once again obligated to improvise in order to come up with a competitive squad as injuries start growing half-way into the season. It is a pity to see one of the best teams the Gunners have had in years, not being able to perform at its best due to endless hours spent recovering from reoccurring or new injuries. Wenger had an excellent start but visibly lost ground after key players had to step back and manage an array of physical problems. The latest on the ever-growing injured list is Cazorla who has suffered knee-ligament injury and could join Coquelin in recovery for as late as the end of March. He is now part of the 10 players who are uncertain or unavailable across the next couple of weeks. Out of these 10, six should be in the starting eleven meaning that only five of Wenger’s best are available. If we exclude Cech we are left with only four of the 10 players who were supposed to keep Arsenal on top of the Premier League.

Currently the midfield is the most affected part of the team as Arteta, Wilshere, Coquelin and Cazorla are out or performing at half the speed. Two of the most in-form players are out until March which means a transfer must be made in order to fill in the gaps. The big question now is what way should Wenger go? Should he try bringing in a temporary replacement or should he try making a big move that will count for the seasons to come?

Apparently one of the names that stands out of the crowd and that could really help the Gunners is Portugal international William Carvalho. The 23-year-old is one of the highest rated midfielders in Europe and has been on several big teams’ lists even since he was 20. He would be a great investment for the future and, if he can adapt, a great solution for the injury crisis. According to Squawka, he has a £35m release clause which is not that incredible given the numbers he is putting out in terms of tackles, passing and overall midfield dominance. Hopefully being so close to the title this year will determine Wenger to try and bring in someone better than Kim Källström who was one of the worst transfers Arsenal’s boss ever made.