Arsene Wenger confirmed Olivier Giroud is expected to be out until at least December with an ankle injury but the Arsenal manager stressed he was in no rush to buy another forward.
Giroud, 27, who was Arsenal's top scorer last season with 22 goals in all competitions, is expected to be out for up to four months following surgery on the ankle he injured during Saturday's 2-2 draw at Everton in the Premier League.
"Olivier Giroud had surgery today," Wenger told Sky Sports after Arsenal reached the Champions League group stage for the 17th consecutive season with a 1-0 win over Besiktas in the second leg of their playoff on Wednesday.
"It went well but he will be out, to be at his top competitive level, until the end of December or beginning of January."
Arsenal signed Chile forward Alexis Sanchez for 35 million pounds ($59.56 million) from Barcelona in July and, despite playing for most of his career as a winger, Wenger said he considered the 25-year-old to be a forward.
The Frenchman had previously said the Gunners were unlikely to sign any more forwards on a permanent basis and would only consider loan signings if they enhanced his attacking options.
"We will look around but we want quality. We have quality," he said. "Anytime you have a problem you can't always buy. If you have an injury after 1 September you still have to live with it.
"I bought Sanchez to be a striker, Walcott can be a very good striker, (Lukas) Podolski can play there, (Yaya) Sanogo is a very good striker, (Joel) Campbell if you ask him what he is, he says a striker. They are all players of quality.
"To find players better than we have would be very difficult."
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