Mikel Arteta is facing a selection headache at Arsenal ahead of the Premier League’s return.
Football’s suspension has been kind to the Gunners in that they’ve been able to nurse a number of players back to full fitness.
This includes left-backs Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasniac
So with a healthy set of left-backs at his disposal, there’s a theory going around that the Bukayo Saka experiment in that particular position is now over.
In fact, manyeagle-eyed Arsenal fans have noticed that the youngster has been used further forwardin training sessions which could be a hint to what’s in store when the season resumes.
Interestingly, the Gunners are blessed with options in the wide areas. Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang started on opposite flanks in the club’s last game before football was suspended.
Then there’s Reiss Nelson who has been a regular ever since Arteta was appointed as head coach.
The prospect of Saka reclaiming his left-wing position is exciting and at the same time raise questions about the long-term plan for fellow wonderkid Gabriel Martinelli at Arsenal.
A summer signing from Ituano last summer, the teenager has been nothing short of superb in his debut season. He has 10 goals across all competitions and has netted away at Liverpool as well as Chelsea.
But Martinelli’s has predominately played from the left-wing in his short time as an Arsenal player.
Therefore if Saka is shifted further forward and Pepe competes with Nelson for the other spot, where does that leave the young Brazilian?
Well, Arteta has previously stated that he sees Martinelli’s future in a central role.
“[Aubameyang and Martinelli] are centre forwards but with the squad balance that we have at the moment, to play on those positions on the left we don’t have five players,”Arteta told reportersafter the 1-0 win over West Ham United.
“We are using one left-winger to play as a left-back [Saka] and he is not a left-back so we’re just trying to adapt to the situation that we have today, trying to create an amount of goal threat that can be successful for the team. that’s part of managing the players that we have.”
However, that long-term plan might not be something Martinelli agrees with as he favours the left-hand side.
“I really like playing on the left end,” he toldMarcain February. “It is my favourite position. I give myself to the maximum for the team.
“I always give 100% for my team to end the game winning.”
Source:Football.london
