How Arsenal Would Cope Without Aaron Ramsey vs. Man City

It sounds strange to say it, but an injury to Aaron Ramsey probably wouldn’t hurt Arsenal all that much. Despite the fact that he was their Player of the Season in 2013/14, the Gunners are currently well-stocked for attacking midfielders. Should the Welshman fail to be fit for the weekend, Arsene Wenger will still have plenty of options at his disposal.

Ramsey picked up his injury in the final moments of Wales’ victory over Andorra on Tuesday. Speaking to the BBC, manager Chris Coleman confirmed:

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He got a kick and there was a twist in his ankle. Hopefully he'll be OK for Arsenal (at home to Manchester City) at the weekend but we'll have to see what the next 24 to 48 hours hold.

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It will certainly be an anxious wait for the Arsenal fans. Ramsey’s importance to the squad can't be downplayed too much. Despite some patchy performances in the early part of the season, he has still managed to notch three goals in his first six games. He remains a match-winner.

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However, there are areas of the team where an injury would be far more damaging. At centre-half, for example, Arsenal are woefully short of cover. A knock to Laurent Koscielny or Per Mertesacker could see the Gunners relying on teenage tyro Calum Chambers and thus without a recognised centre-half on the bench.

Upfront, Wenger will be relieved that Danny Welbeck appears to have come through the international break unscathed. Had he been injured it would have meant turning to Yaya Sanogo, who looked distressingly raw in the last Premier League game at Leicester.

With Welbeck set to lead the line, Alexis Sanchez will be pushed out on to the flank. If Mesut Ozil is fit to play, he and Santi Cazorla will most likely join the Chilean in the trio of supporting players behind the central striker.

That leaves just two places in the midfield. With skipper Mikel Arteta pretty much a guaranteed starter in the holding role, there’s just one gap left to fill. Admittedly, that spot would have been earmarked for Ramsey, but there are plenty of other candidates waiting in the wings.

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The man most likely to step in to the void is Jack Wilshere. Wilshere enjoyed an encouraging display as a deep-lying midfielder for England against Switzerland, and the feeling persists that he generally performs better in Ramsey’s absence. The second leg of the Champions League qualifier against Besiktas, in which Wilshere was nominated as Man of the Match, is a case in point.

There are other contenders. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has played most of his football this season as a winger. However, Arsene Wenger has long insisted that his long-term future is as a central midfielder. This could be another opportunity to put that theory to the test.

Then there’s Tomas Rosicky. The Czech international has barely featured this season but is often called upon to play in high-profile matches. His pressing game could be used to stop City gaining control of the middle of the park.

Hopefully Ramsey’s injury turns out to be nothing more than a minor knock and he is able to take to the field on Saturday. However, should he miss out, Arsenal should not allow his absence to dampen the atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium. It would be disappointing but not disastrous. In Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Rosicky, Arsenal have a trio of players who can be promising alternatives against City.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout the 2014/15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.