Catastrophe has struck Arsenal soccer membership in the course of the September worldwide break.
Membership captain, and creator-in-chief, Martin Odegaard was hauled off within the second of Norway’s Nations League win over Austria on Monday night after severely twisting his ankle when going for a unfastened ball in the midst of the park.
That harm, in addition to the one sustained by Mikel Merino and the suspension which Declan Rice is about to serve, has left the Gunners extraordinarily quick in midfield heading right into a crunch north London derby in opposition to rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
So, how can Mikel Arteta fight the lack of his key midfielder?
This is 4 choices for the Spaniard…
Let’s get the obvious answer out of the way in which first, we could?
Mikel Arteta appeared hellbent on utilising Kai Havertz as a midfielder for the big bulk of final season, earlier than a shift right into a centre ahead position led to the German worldwide producing his greatest kind. And firstly of the 2024/25 season, whereas enjoying as a quantity 9, that superb kind has continued with Havertz having bagged himself three objective contributions in three appearances.
Regardless of these performances, Arteta will most actually be tempted to drop Havertz again into midfield as soon as once more as he is maybe essentially the most pure alternative for Odegaard. One downside is that the 25-year-old’s possible alternative up entrance, Gabriel Jesus, has been battling a groin harm and his understudy Eddie Nketiah has moved to Crystal Palace.
Selections, selections.
If sacrificing his beginning striker to fill a niche in midfield does not attraction to Arteta, then another choice might to show to one in every of Arsenal’s many up-and-coming starlets.
The 2 standout prospects on the membership are literally midfielders – which is fairly helpful.
One is Ethan Nwaneri, who’s the youngest participant to ever play for the membership and having impressed in pre-season might be set to tackle a ‘vice-Bukayo Saka’ position this season.
The opposite is Myles Lewis-Skelly, who regardless of being much less ingratiated into the primary crew, is probably the extra pure alternative for Odegaard of the pair. The 17-year-old has been in comparison with Jack Wilshere by Arsenal followers, which tells you all it’s good to learn about how extremely they consider him.
Probably the greatest issues about how Edu and co. have constructed the present Arsenal squad is the positional malleability of so lots of the gamers they’ve signed.
Ben White can play anyplace throughout the backline, Riccardo Calafiori (when match) can do the identical, Bukayo Saka could be utilised as a large ahead or a wing-back and, maybe crucially for Arteta’s plans transferring ahead, Oleksandr Zinchenko can transfer into midfield from a full-back position when required too.
Actually, given his defensive struggles a left-back, Zinchenko is probably truly higher suited to enjoying in midfield than he’s in traditional position in defence.
The Ukraine worldwide is extraordinarily competent on the ball and possesses a capability to modify play shortly and successfully too – one thing which ought to permit Arsenal’s assault to proceed to tick even when Odegaard is out of motion.
If Arteta does not see any of the above choices as viable stop-gaps, then the Gunners might be pressured to dip into the free agent market.
And whereas that market is pretty barren, there’s an outlier in France worldwide and former Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
The midfielder has been with out a membership since June, when he rejected a contract supply from Juve to check out the market as an alternative. Because of his relatively subpar efficiency during the last 12 months, that appears to have been an ill-advised transfer because it’s now September and Rabiot nonetheless does not have a membership.
If Odegaard’s harm is as critical as first feared, nevertheless, Arsenal could also be determined sufficient to offer the midfielder his first crack at Premier League soccer.
Would he be an excellent signing? Kind would counsel no, however he is the most effective of a foul bunch that is presently with out a membership.
