So Andre Santos is out for three months after picking up an ankle injury against Olympiakos in the Champions League last week.
As a result of the Brazilian’s injury, we are now without any fit senior full-backs in our first-team and playing four central defenders across our back-line, which surprisingly is working a treat for us at the moment.
On Tuesday I wrote up what options are now available to Arsene Wenger, in terms of what to do with the gap temporarily left by Santos. In case you never read it or have forgotten, these were my three options for the Frenchman to consider:
1. He continues to play Thomas Vermaelen at left-back, Johan Djourou on the right and Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny in the middle of the back four, until the fallen have recovered fully.
2. Arsene goes out in January and acquires a left back (on loan). This is probably unlikely to happen, but it’s still an option for the Frenchman to consider.
3. Wenger installs Ignasi Miquel at left-back, shifts Vermaelen back into the centre with Per and Kos goes back to right-back duty.
In all honesty, I will be happy if Wenger chose to go with either option two or three, as number one looks daunting because of Djourou’s admission – his defending is calamitous to say the least!
However, option two has now become the most likely to ensue as previous Arsenal target and current AC Milan full-back Taye Taiwo has emerged as a potential short-term answer to our left-back problem.
Santos is pretty much out for the rest of the season. If he comes back in 3 months as planned, which I doubt, Wenger will say he needs a couple weeks to get back. So know we’re in the second half of March and it’s almost guaranteed he’ll have a setback or two, and then the season is over. Disappointing really since I rate him more than Gibbs.
Djourou is beast at right back!
To me, i would suggest that Wenger should convert either Francis Coquelin and or Emmanuel Frimpong to the right back position temporarily for now to cover up. These two youngmen are versatile and would be able to play to expectation and also they would add bite to the attack.
These two players are eager play and would therefore exert more energy to succeed. That position is not fit for Djourou, though Djourou is good but his capability to man that position is questionable.