Ben White was substituted against Crystal Palace late on and Mikel Arteta made the decision to switch Thomas Partey into the right-back role. Days later it was uncovered that Takehiro Tomiyasu, who departed the Emirates Stadium on crutches football.london understood on Thursday night’s penalty defeat to Sporting CP, had successfully undergone knee surgery and would miss the remainder of the season.
The switch to right-back for Partey was an evident attempt by Arteta to ensure that some tried and tested options in the role were available should the worst-case scenario occur and the Gunners lose both right-back options. The youth player called up for last Sunday’s squad was Reuell Walters and despite his impressive showings in friendlies with the senior side, he remains some way off the level of the first team.
Had Arteta had what is most likely his best senior option available against Crystal Palace, perhaps we would have seen them deployed. The allusion is to William Saliba who also departed the Sporting CP clash with an injury that meant he was unavailable for both the final Premier League match before the break and the French international side.
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Saliba is an option due to his experience playing the position whilst on loan with Marseille last season. According to Wyscout, Saliba spent a total of 103 minutes across four matches in the position and impressed with his runs forward despite his typically defensive role on the field at centre-half.
Rob Holding came in to replace Saliba against Sporting, with the club hoping his issue is only minor and a return after the break comes swiftly. Holding playing though gives the opportunity for the scenario to play out that he could potentially partner Saliba, who would deploy at right-back, should White ever get injured.
White has looked at times in need of a late substitution in games after transitioning to the right-back role this season. Having never played the role for a prolonged period, moving from one of the less athletically demanding roles at centre-half to one of the heaviest burdens of running on the field at right-back was always going to have an impact.
Fortunately, the right-back role in the Arsenal team is not like that of the traditional position seen across the game. Oleksandr Zinchenko is given licence to roam into midfield whereas the right-back performs a support-style role for Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.
That said, White has certainly progressed his game in the attacking third, providing an assist against Crystal Palace for his winger and international teammate to help the Gunners move eight points clear at the top. Saliba or any of the players would need to add something there but perhaps with just ten games to go and no injury to White, touch wood, having occurred deputising for a short period wouldn’t have this aspect as a necessity and locking down the right channel whilst supporting the forwards with passes would be enough.
The hope will be that Arsenal never have to get into this position. With Eddie Nketiah, Takehiro Tomiyasu and now Saliba out, although hopefully for not too long, the shortening injury list has suddenly expanded at the worst time and Arteta and the club need to have plans in place should it worsen at this critical stage of the season.
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