Arsenal remain unlikely to be busy in the January transfer window despite the serious hamstring injury suffered by Bukayo Saka. The Gunners played the first of a possible 19 games without their star man on Friday evening against Ipswich Town with Kai Havertz scoring the only goal of the game.

Gabriel Martinelli replaced Saka on the right with the Brazilian showcasing he is certainly capable of filling in. As a result of him switching flanks, Leandro Trossard came into the starting XI with Kai Havertz remaining in midfield alongside Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus handed a third consecutive start.

Playing that front five over the next few months may not be sustainable however, and now Arsenal may have the chance to add some needed depth with a familiar face. Though Arteta has insisted signing any players in the winter window is unlikely, the Arsenal boss has issued a new verdict with just 72 hours until the trading period opens.

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With that being said, football.london has rounded up the latest Arsenal transfer news, rumours and updates ahead of January.

Fabio Vieira update

When Saka has picked up injuries in the past, Fabio Vieira has often come in as his replacement. That currently appears impossible with the 24-year-old on loan at former club Porto, however a big decision has been made which may mean he returns early.

According to O Jogo, his absence for Porto's game on Saturday evening against Boavista was because of a technical decision made by manager Vitor Bruno. Considering he has started the last six Portuguese league games, it seems unlikely he would be left out for any reason other than injury.

It has since been claimed he has been recalled from his loan by Arsenal with a private jet departing Porto for London on Saturday morning.

football.london says: If the latter is the scenario that plays out, it seems a very smart move from Arsenal to bring back a player Arteta already knows well.

With Raheem Sterling also injured, Arteta was unable to name any forward options on the bench against Ipswich. Though Vieira is predominantly a midfielder, he can play off the right and has done so on several occasions for Arsenal.

While hardly a glamorous Saka replacement, it is a decision that makes complete sense given the finances involved and the fact the Portugal international will have no major issues settling into the squad alongside players he knows well.

Arteta on January

Though he has already spoken on the topic several times, Arteta has recently provided a fresh January verdict.

As quoted by the club's official website, he said: "Let’s see how we get there, hopefully the squad is going to be in a much healthier position than it is right now, but who knows?

"We are prepared if we need to do something, we’re capable of doing something, but then that transfer window is very tricky and difficult to control. The opportunities are very limited but we’ll be there."

football.london says: Everything points towards a quiet January for Arteta and Arsenal judging by everything that has been said thus far.

Very rarely do clubs make big acquisitions during the season unless something big comes up, such as an injury to their most important player. Despite that actually happening for Arsenal, there is no need to rush into the market given the limited options available.

Though it could impact the final months of this campaign, Arsenal are far better off moving for their main targets next summer.