Arsenal went into their must-win clash with Crystal Palace after being dealt a big hit of confidence. Kieran Tierney returned to the club after scoring for Scotland with an issue with his knee.
The fear is growing that Tierney will now miss the rest of the season. Mikel Arteta spoke ahead of the game and confirmed that after a scan a problem had indeed been detected. This would mean Nuno Tavares being the primary left-back option for Arsenal whose left-footed defensive options are very thin.
"There is some damage there. We will hopefully know more on Tuesday but not looking good,” Arteta said ahead of the match with Palace.
READ MORE: Arsenal reveal why Kieran Tierney and Nicolas Pepe miss out against Crystal Palace
However, Arteta may have to look beyond the Portuguese option as previous issues in Tavares’ game have seen the 22-year-old dragged off before even half-time. Against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, Arteta substituted Tavares after a poor start to the game.
He was also involved in both of Palace’s opening two goals. Failing to be strong enough in the box with Joachim Andersen before being caught out as Jordan Ayew scored the second. However, Arteta may not need to wait until the summer to find better competition.
Arsenal made very few signings in January however one player who did arrive was 17-year-old Lino Sousa. The West Bromwich Albion left-back arrived with a reputation having made his under 23s debut at the age of just 16.
"It’s an amazing feeling,” Sousa told Arsenal Media upon his arrival. “I’d like to thank the club for giving me this opportunity to be here and I’m just really excited to get going to be honest. I feel really good. The players have made me feel welcome and I’ve been with the under-18s and under-23s and they’re a really good bunch of lads!”
He has already broken into the Arsenal under 23 squad. In fact, he has done far more than that. On his first start with the side, he scored in the 2-2 draw with Blackburn.
He has not stopped there though, the under 23s were in action alongside their senior counterparts on Monday night. Sousa scored the opener against the PL2’s title favourites Manchester City.
Sousa is showing his ability in the final third and will be knocking on the door of Mikel Arteta asking for an opportunity. The Spaniard has given senior squad call-ups to a number of the youth team. Mazeed Ogungbo was on the bench as Tavares’ youth backup option. However, Sousa will feel hard done by missing out.
Perhaps Arteta will consider a change in the near future. Considering Kieran Tierney’s season may be over, all options should be considered.
