Arsenal FC: Who Can Fill the Gap Left by Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen?

It seems Arsenal fans are not allowed to be happy for too long these days.

On the back of a very successful transfer deadline day a week ago, supporters were salivating at the image of a full-strength Arsenal side unleashed on the English Premier League with its new signings wreaking havoc along with established stars.

Well, Gooners, we're all going to have to wait.

Not one but two sucker punches arrived this week when it was revealed that Jack Wilshere's ankle problem will sideline him for a minimum of two months and Thomas Vermaelen had a precautionary procedure on his ankle that will rule him out for at least one.

Losing these two is not like losing a regular starter from the squad. They are two of our most important players and two great leaders (especially in Vermaelen's case) who provide the team with a cutting edge in defence and midfield that cannot be replicated.

We cannot mourn their losses for too long, however, so we must ponder the question, as the manager will, of how to replace two of Arsenal's best players.

At the back, the answer is simpler, yet scarier. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny will surely become our first-choice defensive pairing. They—like Mertesacker and Vermaelen will in the future—compliment each other's style of play quite well.

With a giant enforcer in Mertesacker standing beside him, Koscielny will have the opportunity to distribute and get farther forward than the German, which could leave Arsenal considerably more secure at the back, as they have been exposed frequently on the counterattack.

One would also expect Mertesacker to be given the much of Vermaelen's leadership role at the back, considering his experience and time as captain with former club Werder Bremen.

The danger here is that it might all be too much, even for an experienced head, coming into the Premier League and not only being asked to start straight away with a new defensive partner.

With the inclusion of Andre Santos because of Kieran Gibbs's ongoing injury issues, it might be a bit dangerous to throw two new signings straight into the back four with no ability to drop them.

But then again, we have bought experience, so we might as well try out our new toy and see what wonders it can work.

In midfield, the situation is considerably more fluid, with a wealth of options and combinations at Arsene Wenger's disposal.

The obvious replacement for Wilshere is the newly acquired Mikel Arteta, who will hopefully make an Ashley Young-like transformation into a top-class player as he is surrounded with better talent and a more competitive environment.

Again, although there is thankfully no acclimation required to the Premier League's style of play, leading the young midfielders and spearheading and attack might be an unfair burden on the Spaniard.

Behind Arteta, though, things get a bit crazy. Aaron Ramsey and Alex Song could be included in a first-choice midfield trio, but Wenger would also have Yossi Benayoun, Tomas Rosicky, Emmanuel Frimpong and later Abou Diaby at his disposal as well.

Additionally, Robin van Persie could slot into the hole behind the striker if necessary, as he did to much success on occasion during last season, and Andrei Arshavin could save his tiny little legs by shifting into a more central role.

Again, throwing all these new signings straight into the fray with the pressure of expectation and immediate performance is far from ideal, but even I cannot blame Wenger for Arsenal's horrible luck with injuries.

So, while I will continue to salivate over the prospect of a full-strength Arsenal side (is there frost in hell yet?), at least Wenger, with his new additions, is much better equipped to handle the loss of two crucial members of the squad.

As Koscielny and others have shown, when your back is to the wall and you just have to acclimate and perform, results can arrive quicker than expected.

If so, Wenger's deadline day business will prove to be a masterstroke.

Follow me on Twitter: @AmeriGooner