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Cazorla and Wilshere's absences have hit Arsenal's midfield hard.
Understandably, fans are losing sleep again.
When things were starting to look up, the injury bug dragged them straight back to square one.
Thankfully, there's still Arteta.
With both Cazorla and Wilshere out, Arteta's presence offers a glimmer of stability. He's been in fine form lately.
The coaching staff is even considering reverting to last season's midfield setup: Arteta as the central anchor, with Kai and Ramsey acting as defensive enforcers.
Yes, this formation sacrifices the dynamic attacking rhythm for which Arsenal is known. Neither Arteta nor Kai can replicate the fluid playmaking that Cazorla and Wilshere bring.
But at the very least, it gives the team enough structure to stay competitive.
Right now, the priority is keeping the rest of the squad fit and healthy.
In response, Arsenal's medical team launched a full internal assessment to monitor everyone's condition.
...
"Kai! Time for your medical!"
Chamberlain called out from the hallway as Kai wrapped up another intense weight session in the gym.
Hearing him, Kai racked the barbell and stretched out his aching arms. His muscles flexed under the lights, taut and solid.
Chamberlain couldn't help but smirk. The transformation was ridiculous.
Kai's frame used to be lean and powerful—but now? It looked like he'd been forged in a furnace.
Chamberlain had once tried the same strength program. Lasted a week. The pain—both mental and physical—was unbearable.
He gladly went back to sipping sports drinks and avoiding deadlifts.
Kai grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his face. "Everyone else done?"
Chamberlain nodded. "You're the last one."
"Alright, let's go," Kai replied with a nod.
Inside the medical room, Kai stepped out of the testing area to find his teammates and the medical staff staring at him like he'd grown a second head.
"…What?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
Vermaelen shook his head in disbelief. "You've gained 10 kilos in a year, converted it all into muscle, and somehow your muscle density is off the charts. How the hell did you manage that?"
Kai's numbers were insane—easily the best in the squad. Everyone knew he was strong from training, but they had no idea how strong.
It all made sense now. Every forward who'd ever been man-marked by Kai probably still had nightmares.
None of them had seen the raw data before. Now that they had, the room went quiet.
Someone muttered, "Forget Drogba. Kai's numbers are right up there…"
Kai just chuckled. "Simple. Two hours of lifting in the morning, two in the afternoon. Join me if you want. The iron's waiting."
Everyone quickly shook their heads.
"Thanks, but no thanks. We'll stick to football."
"Exactly. There's more to life than barbells, mate."
Kai sighed and shook his head. "You guys are missing out on the thrill of smashing PRs…"
He turned to the team doctor, Gary O'Driscoll. "So… am I cleared?"
Gary looked up from the chart and gave him a big thumbs-up. "Absolutely. Strong, healthy—keep doing what you're doing."
Kai grinned and walked off.
Gary glanced back down at the data and muttered, "These numbers are ridiculous…"
A few others nodded quietly.
One punch from that guy… and you're either knocked out or dialing emergency services.
...
That night, back in his room, Kai was doing solo ball work when his phone buzzed with a message.
He wiped his hands and picked it up.
Kai picked up his phone and glanced at the notification. It was the chat group introduced to him by reporter Zheng Xin.
Group Chat – [Asia's Finest]
Chen Man (PORTO):"Wang Yi Please go easy on us!"
A few seconds later—ding-dong.
Wang Yi (PSG):😎
Kai raised an eyebrow. Now he was curious.
Kai (ARSENAL):"What's going on? Why the call for mercy?"
Chen Man:😩 "Check the Champions League Group A fixtures… you'll get it."
Kai opened the app and scrolled to the Group A standings.
1. Paris Saint-Germain
2. Porto
3. Dynamo Kyiv
4. Dinamo Zagreb
Kai:"Oh no. You're doomed, mate."
Wang Yi:😄
Chen Man:"You saw it! Last time we played them, the Emperor destroyed us—and that was at home. Now we're away. We're gonna get smashed again!"
Wang Yi:"Come on, have some faith."
Chen Man:"How am I supposed to win this?"
Wang Yi:"Just get a goal. Save face at least."
Chen Man:"Wang Yi @@￥#%￥￥…%…"
Wang Yi:"How about you, Kai? How's your Champions League campaign going?"
Kai:"Not great. Schalke 04 rolled right over us."
Wang Yi:"German teams are always tough. Plus, you've been dealing with injuries—it's understandable."
Kai:"Exactly. Honestly, at this point, we're just focusing on securing a top-four finish in the league. The Champions League isn't even the priority anymore."
Arsenal had drawn 0-0 at home and lost 1-3 away to Schalke 04. With that, the chance to top the group had all but vanished.
Wang Yi:"No need to panic. Take it step by step—you'll bounce back."
Chen Man:"What about me?! Don't leave me out!"
Wang Yi:"Fix your bad habit of holding the ball too long. Otherwise, someone's going to break your leg eventually."
Chen Man:😓 "I just want more playing time…"
Before anyone could reply, another message popped in.
Chen Man:"Where's Fernando? Why's he so quiet today?"
Wan Yi:"He's just sitting back, watching you all show off. Probably jealous we've got Champions League games."
Chen Man:"Don't act like you're not killing it this season! Simeone's got his eye on you. You'll be in Europe next year, no doubt."
Fernando Kairui (ATM):"And what good will it do? It's just Barcelona and Real Madrid rubbing our faces in the dirt every week. Those two are monsters."
Wang YI:"Poor guy." (Sending virtual head pats)
Chen Man:"By the way, Yi—how's the Asian qualifiers going?"
Wang Yi:"Not bad. We're basically through. But in March we play Japan, and the team might call you up for that one."
Chen Man:"Wait, seriously? Me?"
Wang Yi:"Coach mentioned it in passing. It's looking likely."
Fernando:"Hey! What about me?!"
Kai:"Fingers crossed."
Wang Yi:"Don't get your hopes up just yet, Fernando. And Kai only just broke into the main team. There's still a chance in June. Be patient."
Fernando:"Alright, alright. I'll wait."
Kai:"Same here. We'll see what happens."
After closing the chat group, Kai opened the video app to rewatch the Porto vs. Paris Saint-Germain match from the Champions League.
It had been an intense 90 minutes.
Wang Yi and Chen Man both played brilliantly.
In the 89th minute, Wang Yi drifted out of the box and blasted a long-range shot past Porto's keeper—a beauty of a goal that showcased his technique.
As for Chen Man, he tore up the flanks with blistering pace, overtaking defenders like they were standing still.
Back when they were both at the Northern Youth Academy, one coach had joked that Chen Man was a sprinter who wandered into the wrong sport.
He then went to Porto and him to Sporting.
Someone from the provincial sprint team had even approached him. But the coach refused to let him go.
Chen Man insisted on football, and in the end, they respected his choice.
And now, they had a certified speed demon on the pitch.
Kai couldn't lie—he was a bit jealous of Chen Man's raw speed. That kind of pace? You're either born with it or you're not.
And that's why, during training matches in the past, Kai couldn't help calling him unfair.
Because that kind of speed made defending feel like chasing shadows.