winger has been prescribed a dose of sunshine and relaxation by boss Mikel Arteta following his hamstring injury woes.

The club's stand-out performer, with influential nine goals and 13 assists prior to his setback against Crystal Palace last month, the 23-year-old Three Lions star is out of action until March after undergoing surgery.

Despite hobbling on crutches on the sidelines during the Gunners' stunning triumph over Tottenham, Arteta has emphasised the need for Saka to take a break: "Yes, he needs to."

Insisting on a change of scenery for the young talent, the Arsenal manager said: "He is obligated to go, with his girlfriend, or his family, or on his own, he can choose.

"He needs to get away for a few days and refresh. He can still do a lot of things with his rehabilitation because it is the perfect stage. It will make him better."

Plans for Arsenal's potential warm-weather spell in Dubai around their Carabao Cup semi-final clash could synchronise with Saka's holiday. Following their FA Cup exit, the Gunners have a 10-day hiatus, during which Arteta acknowledges Saka's need for respite: "He (Saka) has been with his team-mates every single day.

"But there is a moment, especially when we are going to be away for a few days, that he needs to do that (go on holiday)."

Arteta is facing a crisis in the forward line after Saka's hamstring injury and Gabriel Jesus' season-ending ACL tear, which could force the Spaniard to dip into the transfer market.

With Kai Havertz struggling to find the net in his last three games, Arsenal's striking options are thin on the ground ahead of their Premier League showdown with Aston Villa.

When quizzed about whether this might alter his summer spending strategy, Arteta admitted: "No one can give you assurances in this industry because it is related to performance, what we achieve, how we finish the season.

"But if a player is injured, what can you do? He has no value, he cannot perform. It is a really difficult scenario and on top of that you have to add somebody else. It's not easy.

"We have a plan, we look at the squad, how we are going to evolve it, what we have in the academy, how we are going to change and adapt.

"Either we are really bad at planning or nobody could see we would have that many injuries, so you have to adapt whatever the plan is."