Mikel Arteta Talks Lucas Torreira Injury, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Red Card

Mikel Arteta has been counting the cost of losing two of his most important players, holding midfielder Lucas Torreira and prolific striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, after Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Torreira was withdrawn with an injury during the break at Selhurst Park. Aubameyang was shown a red card in the 67th minute after a VAR review upgraded his initial booking for a reckless challenge on Palace midfielder Max Meyer.

Arteta offered an update on Torreira's condition following the game:

Torreira's departure blunted the Gunners, who were in firm control for most of the opening 45 minutes. Matteo Guendouzi replaced the Uruguayan, and Arsenal's pressing game suffered after the restart.

Arteta's decision to put Torreira back in his natural defensive-midfield role has made the Gunners tougher to beat. Torreira has provided a platform for Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil to boss possession further forward.

Fortunately for Arsenal, Torreira didn't appear seriously hurt, per James Olley of the London Evening Standard:

Guendouzi is similarly neat in possession, but he lacks the tackling capability of Torreira. The former entered the game with the visitors protecting a slender 1-0 lead given to them by Aubameyang's 12th-minute goal.

However, the task of building on the lead became insurmountable once Arsenal's leading goalscorer was dismissed by referee Paul Tierney, who had initially deemed the incident with Meyer only worthy of a yellow card.

There were shades of Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger's infamous selective vision in Arteta's first response when asked about the foul, according to Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror:

However, Arteta soon accepted the culpability of his skipper once he'd viewed the challenge:

It's a fair assessment of what was an ill-judged decision from Aubameyang. He was late and went over the top of the ball when trying to dispossess Meyer on the touchline.

Aubameyang made studs-first contact with the playmaker's ankle. Afterwards, further detail was provided on why VAR had prompted a change of Tierney's ruling:

Arteta may be understating the case regarding the impact of Aubameyang's impending absence, even though he called it a "massive blow." The 30-year-old has shouldered the goalscoring burden for most of this season.

Aubameyang netted his 16th goal in all competitions when he opened the scoring against the Eagles. Of those goals, 14 have come in England's top flight, with the number scored on his travels only underlining Aubameyang's significance:

Replacing Aubameyang's goals won't be easy, especially since fellow striker Alexandre Lacazette is still struggling for form. The Frenchman has scored just five times in the league and last found the net during the 2-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on December 5.

Getting Lacazette back among the goals now becomes a priority. Arteta will also want more goal involvements from club-record signing Nicolas Pepe, while 18-year-old Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli has shown some quality as a finisher.

Aubameyang faces being banned for at least Arsenal's home game against Sheffield United on January 18. The Blades have conceded just 21 times this season, and they will pose a daunting challenge to a forward line missing its talisman.

If Aubameyang's scoring instincts are missed for longer, along with Torreira's tenacity and defensive nous, the Gunners will slip further out of the race for a top-four finish. They could also find their place in the FA Cup in jeopardy, with a tricky trip to Bournemouth looming in the fourth round.