The September international break should not be looked back on fondly by anyone inside the Emirates walls, as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could be two players down for this weekend's North London derby.
Already guaranteed to be without Mikel Merino, Declan Rice, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney, Arteta has been handed new concerns over Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard, although the former's calf knock may settle down in time.
However, Odegaard is almost certainly set to sit out the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after spraining his ankle while playing for Norway, and there are fears that he could be sidelined until the start of October.
The 25-year-old would therefore also miss matches against Atalanta BC, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers and Leicester City, while the visit of Paris Saint-Germain on October 1 may come too soon for him to return too.
As Arsenal do not have one designated vice-captain, Sports Mole picks out six candidates who could sport the armband during Odegaard's layoff.
Bukayo Saka
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Odegaard's injury problems this season actually began in August's clash with Brighton & Hove Albion, where he left the field prematurely due to a knock and handed the captain's armband over to Bukayo Saka.
Despite only just turning 23, Arsenal's Hale End starboy already holds a degree of seniority within Arteta's ranks, as evidenced by Odegaard bestowing him with the honour even with older players such as Kai Havertz, Thomas Partey and Ben White still on the field.
Among Gooners at least, there would arguably not be a more popular choice for the captaincy than Saka, who has already made a terrific start to the new season with one goal and three assists in as many games.
Saka has already led Arsenal out once, captaining them to their 5-0 home win over Sheffield United in the 2023-24 campaign, although acting as skipper away to Tottenham is a different kettle of fish for a player who is still extremely young.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
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While Saka is not the most vocal player on the pitch - an attribute that is often regarded as a prerequisite for captains - the more experienced Oleksandr Zinchenko has no problems in the shouting and screaming department.
The 27-year-old became known for his on-field team talks during his debut season at Arsenal, quickly trying to lay down some authority after just a few months at the club, and he is one of the first names that springs to mind when thinking of Gunners that can rouse a team up.
Zinchenko has worn the armband on a handful of occasions for Ukraine - becoming their youngest-ever skipper in 2021 - but he has interestingly never been named captain from the first whistle for either Manchester City or Arsenal, despite his undeniable leadership qualities.
As he has also lost his place in the side to Jurrien Timber, it may take another injury to the Dutchman and Calafiori's problem proving worse than first feared for Zinchenko to both start and captain Arsenal in the derby.
Jorginho
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One player who is virtually guaranteed to earn promotion from the bench this weekend, Jorginho should benefit from Merino's injury and Rice's suspension to make his first Premier League start of the season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Being the oldest outfield player in the squad - and the second-oldest overall behind 35-year-old Neto - means that Jorginho naturally commands authority, and the 32-year-old captained Arsenal six times in his first full season at the club.
The Italian was named skipper for two Champions League matches, two Premier League games and two EFL Cup games in the 2023-24 season, having already built up his captaincy credit while at Chelsea and for the Italy national team.
North London derby day means fire and ferocity, but a cool head among the chaos is also invaluable, and the ever-composed Jorginho may therefore be at the forefront of Arteta's thinking when it comes to armband selection.
Kai Havertz
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Whether he starts up front or drops back into midfield to play the Odegaard role, Kai Havertz will endeavour to have the same impact on this year's North London derby as he did last season's trip to Tottenham, where he headed in the Gunners' third from a Rice corner.
The 25-year-old already has three contributions to show from as many matches this season - two goals of his own and one assist - and boasts a degree of leadership experience, having captained Bayer Leverkusen nine times before turning 21.
More recently, Havertz was named as one of two vice-captains for the German national team - joining Antonio Rudiger as Joshua Kimmich's two deputies - but the ex-Chelsea man does not exactly possess the loudest voice on the pitch.
Havertz's confidence has come on leaps and bounds since his difficult start to life at Arsenal, where he memorably looked a bit embarrassed to celebrate his first penalty goal against Bournemouth, but the armband may still be out of his reach.
Gabriel Jesus
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It is still not known for sure whether Gabriel Jesus's groin injury will settle down in time for the derby, but he is believed to have a good chance of being involved and could even be thrown into the first XI if Havertz moves into midfield.
The Brazilian's Arsenal career is the dictionary definition of stop-start, as several fitness problems have prevented him from stringing a run of games together, but at 27 years old, he is now one of the senior players in the group.
In fact, Arteta appears to have so much faith in Jesus's captaincy skills that he named him skipper for a Europa League win over Zurich in November 2022, just a few months after his arrival from Manchester City. Four years before, he captained Brazil to a friendly win over Croatia just after turning 21.
Reportedly named to Arteta's leadership group within weeks of arriving in 2022, Jesus's can speak both Portuguese and English, making him a highly effective communicator and a genuine contender for the top job.
Declan Rice*
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* Suspended for Tottenham game
Had Rice not tapped the ball a couple of yards away from Joel Veltman against Brighton - picking up a second yellow and a whack to the leg for his troubles - the £105m midfielder may very well have been leading his teammates out for the North London derby.
Alas, the England international will be watching on helplessly this weekend, but as Odegaard is expected to miss a few more matches after the trip to Tottenham, Rice will no doubt come into contention for the role of skipper later this month.
Little more needs to be said about the 25-year-old's credentials, having guided West Ham United to their maiden European trophy in the 2022-23 Europa Conference League after inheriting the captaincy from the long-serving Mark Noble.
The midfielder raised eyebrows over the international break when he refused to take the armband from Harry Kane in England's 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland, insisting that the more experienced John Stones ought to sport it instead, but he should not be expected to shirk that responsibility with Arsenal if the opportunity arises.
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