Arsenal's striker crisis has worsened with the news that Gabriel Martinelli will be out for at least a month due to injury. The Brazilian forward picked up the problem during the Gunners' Carabao Cup clash with Newcastle in midweek, and his absence will be deeply felt by manager Mikel Arteta.
According to Sky news, Arteta had been hoping to bring in a new striker during the January transfer window, but ultimately failed to do so. The Gunners were linked with a number of targets, including Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres, but were unable to secure a deal.
Gyokeres has been in impressive form for Sporting this season, and Arteta is a known admirer of the Swedish striker. However, with Gyokeres likely to be out of Arsenal's price range, the Gunners may have to look elsewhere for reinforcements.
In the meantime, Arteta will have to rely on his existing squad to get results. The Gunners face a tough run of fixtures in the coming weeks, including a Premier League clash with Aston Villa and an FA Cup tie against Manchester City.
Arteta's team selection will be crucial in determining Arsenal's chances of success, and the Spaniard will be hoping that his players can step up to the challenge. However, with Martinelli out injured and Gyokeres seemingly out of reach, the Gunners' striker crisis shows no signs of easing.
Former Arsenal loan chief Ben Knapper has suggested that the Gunners may have already had a player with similar qualities to Gyokeres on their books. Mika Biereth, who was sold to Sturm Graz last January, has been impressing with his performances for Monaco, and Knapper believes that he could have been a valuable asset for Arsenal.
"Mika is a hungry guy, an extraordinary competitor, he's shown it," Knapper said. "On the pitch, if a team-mate gives him a bad ball and his defender gets to it first, he's not the kind of player to let it go, he's going to press him, bother him to get back in front."