London: Arsene Wenger will reassess his holding midfield options in the final 10 days of the transfer window after Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal captain, was ruled out on Wednesday for around two weeks with an ankle injury. With Aaron Ramsey already suspended for what is effectively a £25 million (Dh152.60 million) Champions League play-off next Wednesday against Besiktas, the loss of Arteta means that Wenger will be without both his first-choice central midfielders.

Arsenal were held to a goalless draw by Besiktas on Tuesday night, with Uefa also confirming yesterday that the Turkish club’s manager, Slaven Bilic, must serve at least a one-game touchline ban after being sent off by referee Milorad Mazic.

The decision means that Bilic cannot coach his team or communicate with his assistants during next Wednesday’s tie. Uefa are also still evaluating the reports of Mazic and their delegate before deciding whether any disciplinary action should be taken in respect of an object — thought to be a bottle — that was thrown at Wenger on the final whistle on Tuesday.

Arteta left Istanbul in a protective boot after being forced off in the 50th minute following what Wenger called a “very bad” tackle by Demba Ba.

There will be an update this morning but the first prognosis yesterday was that Arteta would be out for around two weeks and possibly longer.

Wenger had already been giving serious thought to buying a new central midfielder this summer and, although Arteta’s injury should only be fairly short-term, the situation is still likely to concentrate his mind.

Arsenal have relied heavily on Arteta over the past three seasons but, at the age of 32 and with only one year remaining on his contract, there is now less certainty about his situation.

The other main options in front of the defence are Mathieu Flamini, who is more combative but less reliable with his passing, and Calum Chambers, who has never previously played in that position in senior football.

Wenger confirmed on Friday that he may add a holding midfielder and there has been interest in both William Carvalho and Lars Bender. Sami Khedira has also been monitored and could be available from Real Madrid for as little as £12 million but his recent injury record is understood to be of concern.

Arsenal must also reinforce their centre-back options, with a £6 million deal for Greece and Olympiakos defender Kostas Manolas being lined up. Wenger may wait until after the Besiktas tie before making a final decision on his wider transfer strategy due to the vast difference in income that would arise from qualifying for the Champions League.

The Champions League is generally worth between £20 million and £30 million to Arsenal each year.

As Manchester United appear to have discovered this summer, Champions League participation is also crucial for attracting the best players. “We can’t take it for granted,” said Jack Wilshere. “We always want to be in the Champions League to attract players who want to play in the Champions League. We’ll treat it as a cup final.”

— The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2014