By the end of Saturday's disappointing 1-1 draw away to Brighton, Mikel Arteta really was down to the bare bones in attack. In fact, there was nowhere else to turn.

When it comes to senior players, Arsenal had their only three fully fit and ready names on the pitch. Gabriel Martinelli took up a spot on the left flank, Leandro Trossard on the right - shifting across after the substitution of Ethan Nwaneri - and Gabriel Jesus was through the middle.

After Joao Pedro's second-half penalty levelled the match, it was telling that Arteta only made one more change to try and wrestle momentum back. Martin Odegaard, left to the bench due to his recent battle against illness (something that kept Kai Havertz out of matchday squads entirely for the whole week), was the only other switch.

READ MORE: What Arsenal fans did to Alexander Isak before Newcastle star exposed Mikel Arteta's £150m issue

READ MORE: Arsenal transfer need grows after Newcastle defeat as Mikel Arteta given January ultimatum

Come full-time, Arteta had a list of players playing through pain or unable to play at all, which was double in length of those who were deemed fit. The absence of Nwaneri after the break on the south coast added to his problems.

Nwaneri, still only 17, was acting as immediate cover for Bukayo Saka on the right. He is already proving to be a chameleon of a player, and a good one at that. After scoring his second Premier League goal, the prospect of Raheem Sterling (injured at the time) winning a spot back was not even certain.

For Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at home to Newcastle United, Arteta hardly had any choice. Nwaneri would have been primed to play here regardless of squad readiness but will now be out for several weeks. It could see him miss nine matches, including some absolutely massive, season-defining ones in there.

It was no longer a case of tactical selections but more simply picking those who are able to play. If Arsenal plan on going deep into the Champions League, pushing Liverpool seriously for the Premier League, or landing one of the two domestic cups, then this will not be able to continue.

The return of Havertz and Odegaard, along with Martinelli, to the starting XI for Newcastle was at least a good sign. Arteta admitted that he had trained with just seven or eight senior players before the game, though, which is not conducive to putting up serious performances at the very top level.

The other positivity for Arsenal comes in the time of year. With the January transfer window open, remedies for the problems can be sought. With cover at the back and focus moving away from midfield after a tricky spell at the start of the season, changes in attack are other focus.

Alexander Isak, as the standout Premier League striker of the past 12 months, is an obvious first name to turn to. It will cost over £100million to even get Newcastle on the other end of a phone in negotiations. That is not money Arsenal have in January, but bringing him in before February 4 would undoubtedly be a boost, even with Jesus finding some form.

Striker is not really the position Arsenal need the most help with. It is on the right that the real trouble comes. Trossard and Nwaneri can operate there, but both would prefer a spot on the left. Sterling, too, is right-sided but has hardly had a chance to prove himself, and that appears to say plenty for how Arteta views him along with the rest of the squad.

Incomings for the wide areas will be just as hard to find mid-season. Inaki Williams has been a player on the club's radar for much of the last 12 months, though it wouldn't be a surprise to see interest in him reignited. Whether a deal can be done in January is another question, but Arsenal would love to get ahead of the competition and pick him up, even if it means going over the £51million release clause in his Athletic Club contract.

The benefit of having Williams, too, is his versatility. Being able to play on both sides would mean he can challenge Martinelli and Trossard on the left as well as be a more natural and immediate replacement for Saka if something was done.

It is plenty to ask for Arsenal, but one winger is the minimum that many will be asking for. Whether a recruitment team now without Edu Gaspar can deliver is another matter entirely.