The news of Bukayo Saka’s injury has rocked Arsenal’s world and it is not just the fans who are feeling it. The players have looked to their talisman for inspiration and goals this season, particularly during some of the tougher periods.

The win over Ipswich Town was not straightforward despite it initially looking like it might just be. The early goal from Kai Havertz looked like it might encourage the visitors to open up more but even at a defecit, time was being wasted by the goalkeeper and it seemed as though they just wanted to cling on.

Speaking after the game, Jurrien Timber told football.london that he felt the team could have scored more. “You never know how these games [are going to] turn out to be fair,” he explained.

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“We knew it was going to be a tough game. Three points were the most important thing but I think we could have scored more as well, which is a shame but yeah three points is the most important thing.”

Naturally, though, the conversation turned quickly to the absence of Saka and his new right-side partner Gabriel Martinelli. While talented, and capable, it is a change for Timber who has been playing mostly with an inverted left-footer but has now changed to the right-footed Brazilian.

“Yeah of course it is a bit different, I think Martinelli has shown already a couple of times he can play both sides and of course, he’s different than Bukayo, but I think he’s a big threat for every defender and he’s going to show it as well.”

There was no getting away though from Saka in the conversation. Having been the team’s figurehead for so long, Timber was keen to point out the challenge that the team are now relishing without him.

“Everyone knows how important Bukayo is for us, what he’s done for us in the last couple of years for Arsenal,” he said. “We’re waiting for him to come back but it’s a nice challenge for the team, we need to step up.”

Arsenal have been missing many players and Saka is far from the first. He joins fellow long-term absentee Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu in the medical room which has been frequented by so many others this season.

Mikel Merino, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko, David Raya, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Thomas Partey have all had issues. Most notably beside Saka though was Martin Odegaard who at just the mention of the skipper’s name Timber responded quickly.

“Yeah, it’s not the first big challenge this season that we’ve faced,” he said. “The team will try everything we can to win our games.”