Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn has claimed that it is a risk making Kieran Tierney captain because of his poor injury record.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was stripped of the club's captaincy back in December of last year following a disciplinary breach before he eventually left for Barcelona during the January transfer window. French forward Alexandre Lacazette, Scottish left-back Tierney and Norway captain Martin Odegaard have all donned the armband since but Lacazette is expected to leave when his contract expires this summer.
Now, former Gunners defender Winterburn has given his say on the captaincy situation, claiming that Tierney's frustrating fitness record could make it difficult for him to lead the team. Speaking to Paddy Power, he said: “Arsenal need to work out what role they want their captain to play.
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"When I played, I never worried about who was captain at Arsenal because on a matchday, we had enough captains out on the pitch to sort things out ourselves. We had a lot of big characters, so I never worried about the issue of captaincy.
"Maybe it’s a bigger issue for this group of players. Do they want a captain who is vocal or someone who can lead by example?
"If they want someone who’s a bit more vocal, you might go for one of the centre-halves or Kieran Tierney. But unfortunately for Tierney, he’s had a lot of injury problems since coming to Arsenal.
"He’s the type of character who would make a fantastic captain but if you’re playing fewer games, that becomes an issue. I don’t know what influence Martin Odegaard has in the dressing room, but he’s been handed the armband so it’s a possibility he gets it full time next year."
