Whilst Arsenal haven't been able to keep up with Manchester City so far this season, the Gunners have at least got off to a solid start, with their only blip coming in a frustrating draw against Fulham.
Mikel Arteta's side are yet to get out of second gear, edging past both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace before paying the price for their lack of sharpness against Fulham. Even so, seven points out of nine available represents a solid start to their Premier League campaign.
Next up, they welcome Manchester United in their first major eye-catching clash of the season. Victory may signal the return of the blistering Gunners side that we saw for the majority of last season. Defeat, meanwhile, could send alarm bells ringing. Either way, Arsenal will have to overcome the Red Devils, and now potentially others, without one of their regular players.
What's the latest Arsenal injury news?
After a summer of arrivals, Arteta has himself a squad capable of competing on all fronts this season, but that's not to say that injuries won't play a big part in Arsenal's potential success.
Already, we've seen new man Jurrien Timber suffer a devastating ACL injury at the beginning of the campaign, potentially ending the majority of his debut season at The Emirates far earlier than anyone would have hoped.
Now, to make matters worse, the Gunners are set to be without defensive midfielder Thomas Partey, whose versatility has been a major asset so far this season, with Arteta utilising him at right-back.
The former Manchester City assistant will have to solve his right-back problem with another solution, however, with Ghana's national team announcement in the last 24 hours citing Arsenal's verdict that Partey will be out for a "while" through an injury sustained in training.
Of course, Arteta has the squad to cope in the absence of the midfielder-turned-right-back, but after initially shifting the former Atletico Madrid man to the fullback role to accommodate for Timber's injury, the situation is far from ideal.
How will Arsenal cope without Thomas Partey?
Losing a regular option in Partey through injury is a frustrating blow for those in North London, but they must ensure that they cover for his absence well enough to gain the crucial points needed to keep up with Manchester City.
Of course, given that Partey was playing right-back, there are a couple of simple solutions here. One of those could be to hand Takehiro Tomiyasu the opportunity to make up for his recent red card against Crystal Palace now that he is back from suspension, throwing the Japan international straight in the deep end against Manchester United.
Meanwhile, the Gunners could also shift Ben White back to the right-back role he made his own last season, allowing for the return of Gabriel Magalhaes alongside William Saliba. Partey's ability will not be easy to replace, that much is certain, and it is talent that has earned praise from the likes of Yaya Toure in the past, who told TalkSport, via Football London:
"Yeah he’s [Partey] brilliant, it’s really nice to see. I think now every weekend when Arsenal have to play, I have to be honest, I would go just to watch him. He’s just unbelievable."