Arsenal confront right-back headache after Ben White groin setback | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta is juggling his right-back options after Ben White suffered a groin problem during Arsenal’s win at Sunderland, with Jurrien Timber only just back from his own issue.

White had begun the season strongly after recovering from a knee injury that ended his World Cup hopes in May and he shook off a knock against Napoli in the Champions League. He was withdrawn at half-time on Wearside, then Timber came on for his first appearance of the campaign following a groin problem.

The full-back role is one of the game’s most physically demanding and Arteta asks for constant overlaps, recovery sprints and repeated high-speed actions. Balancing that workload on the right will be crucial in the coming weeks.

Arsenal have depth on the left with Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie and Myles Lewis-Skelly, yet the specific strain on the right remains a priority to manage.

White was omitted from the squad for the midweek Carabao Cup victory over Ipswich, when Martin Zubimendi filled in at right-back. Timber was also rested, with no fresh setbacks after his debut season was curtailed by an ACL injury.

Attention turns to Saturday afternoon at Brighton, White’s former club. While he could feature, the three-week international break offers an ideal window for full recovery. Those weeks should help build both White and Timber back to full speed, with careful rotation set to underpin Arsenal’s title push.

Source: Goal.com

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