THE FUSE

The loss of the forward, who starred throughout pre-season, forces Emery to swiftly reconfigure his attacking options ahead of the opening weeks of the campaign. Beyond missing the curtain-raiser against Brighton, Madjo is set to sit out the showdown with Arsenal, as well as upcoming fixtures against Hull City, Nottingham Forest, and Tottenham on September 19. The emergency leaves Ollie Watkins as the primary focal point in attack, with Tammy Abraham now the only other senior centre-forward available to carry the goalscoring burden.