Arsenal have faced a steady wave of injuries and suspensions for some of their most essential players this season, causing quite a few challenges for Mikel Arteta’s line-ups.
William Saliba, Leandro Trossard, and Declan Rice have all seen red cards, leading to missed games and reshuffles in the team’s structure. It’s been a season requiring a lot of adjustments.
With injuries sidelining key players, Arteta has had to get creative with his line-ups, sometimes placing players in unusual roles to keep the team balanced. In their match against Liverpool, Thomas Partey filled in as right-back, while Ben White stepped up to cover for the suspended Saliba, and Jurrien Timber filled the left-back position for the injured Riccardo Calafiori. These adjustments show just how flexible the squad can be, even under less-than-ideal circumstances.
Looking ahead to their upcoming clash against Newcastle on Saturday, there’s a bit of uncertainty over Gabriel Magalhaes, who recently picked up a knee issue in the Liverpool match. However, Arteta shared an optimistic outlook when asked about Magalhaes’ condition, which gave fans some hope. “We are still assessing him, it doesn’t look bad at all,” Arteta said. “He was much better than expected, so hopefully he’ll be fine.”
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If Magalhaes isn’t ready for Newcastle, Arteta has some decisions to make in organizing the defense. With Calafiori still out, William Saliba’s return might just be the solution. Saliba could fill the left-sided center-back role, even though he usually plays on the right. Arteta typically likes his defenders on their natural-footed side, but Saliba’s skillset makes him flexible enough to adjust.
Interestingly, Saliba has already been playing on the left side for the French national team alongside Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate. His experience in that role, combined with his comfort working slightly out of position, shows he can be trusted on either side of the defense. This experience with Les Bleus adds an extra layer of adaptability to Arteta’s options.
Alongside Saliba, Arteta has a solid group of defenders to piece together his backline. Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Thomas Partey, and Oleksandr Zinchenko are all ready to step in and contribute. They’ll be on a mission for a bit of redemption in Tyneside after last season’s controversial loss to Newcastle, making this game even more meaningful for Arsenal.
Saliba’s adaptability also extends to his partnership with Dayot Upamecano for France, where he’s shown great poise on the left side. Didier Deschamps, the French national coach, has praised Saliba’s abilities, noting that his calmness and strength bring stability to the team. “They have 120 minutes together for the France national team; it’s not a lot,” Deschamps remarked. “But they have this ability to be very solid in one-on-one situations.”
As the Gunners prepare for Newcastle, Arteta has a roster full of determined players ready to step up. Whether it’s through reshuffling positions or relying on familiar partnerships, Arsenal looks prepared to face Newcastle with a well-rounded defense—and they’ll be hoping to turn last year’s result in their favor.
