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Mikel Arteta’s 5 options to replace William Saliba after failed Aston Villa experiment



 


 



During a frantic and possibly important stretch of matches, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is dealing with a fresh injury concern in the form of a hamstring strain that has been sustained by William Saliba.



It is becoming increasingly difficult for Mikel Arteta to deal with his injuries, and the fact that star defender William Saliba is scheduled to be absent for the next two weeks has prompted him to reorganise his defensive lineup.

 



It comes at a crucial moment for the Gunners, as they are attempting to maintain their position as the leaders of the Premier League while also working towards the goal of ensuring that they are able to avoid elimination from the Champions League play-off round.


Saliba, the centre defender for France, did not play in Saturday’s draw against Aston Villa due to a hamstring injury. It is also possible that he will not be able to play until after the match against Manchester City in early February. Prior to that, he has two European matches and a trip to Wolves.

As a result of the fact that Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both still recuperating from long-term ailments, and Riccardo Calafiori is also out from the Villa game due to a minor issue, Arteta could have to come up with some inventive solutions.

Before the match against Dinamo Zagreb that will take place at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, the manager of Arsenal should take into consideration the following five potential choices.

a tree named Jurrien
Moving Timber inside to partner Gabriel did not work out very well against Villa; but, taking into consideration his fitness and availability, he looks to be the leading choice to continue playing in that position for the next couple of games.

Theresa Calafiori Riccardo
Unless, of course, the Italian defender Calafiori is in good shape. During his first season with the club, which was disrupted by a number of minor muscle ailments, he has spent the majority of his time at left back. However, Arteta is of the opinion that he will be most effective in the midfield position in the long run.

This gives a golden chance for him to establish a claim, provided that he is physically capable of doing so.

A. Kiwior, Jakub

In spite of the fact that he is a centre defender, Poland international Kiwior did not make an appearance as a replacement versus Villa. This provides more support for the hypothesis that Arteta may not believe that he is capable of actually running the show.

In the league, he has only started two games, one of which was a victory against Manchester United, and the other was a draw against Fulham in the beginning of December. The majority of his playing time has been spent in cup competitions.

A. Rice, Declan
Although it has been a long time since then, David Moyes believed that the midfielder’s best position may wind up being at centre half when he was first establishing himself at West Ham.

Despite the fact that the squad was having a hard time, he appeared to be at ease when playing there on many occasions in the Premier League. But because of the passage of so much time and the fact that Rice has developed into a player who is so much more dynamic, it would appear to Arteta as a final choice.

A. Partey, Thomas
A recent statement made by the Ghanaian midfielder stated that he is willing to play in any position that he can assist in, but, similar to Rice, this would be an extreme step. There is a far higher probability that Partey will play right back.



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