Mikel Arteta considers using midfielder at centre-back | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has considered using Declan Rice as a centre-back given Arsenal’s injuries, but he admits it’s not ideal to keep moving the midfielder around.

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Arsenal were in a tricky situation ahead of Saturday’s game against Aston Villa, with William Saliba ruled out of the contest.

The Gunners have quite a few players capable of playing at centre-back right now, including Gabriel Magalhaes, Jakub Kiwior, Kieran Tierney, and Jurrien Timber.

But Timber is the only right-footed option in the absence of Saliba, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu. And that’s a problem, because Timber is also Arsenal’s only available natural right-back.

Mikel Arteta’s solution was to play Timber at right-centre-back and move Thomas Partey out of position to right-back. But to call that an ‘imperfect solution’ would be an understatement given how the game played out.

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Another alternative would have been to move Declan Rice into the back four. The former West Ham man has experience at centre-back, he’s right-footed, and Arteta admitted on Tuesday that he’s been considering it.

“It has been in my head,” Arteta said. “The reality is that he had to play, because of certain circumstances as a No6, a No8, he played one game as a No10.

“To put him in a different position is not ideal. He is coping with it really well, but we know that he has the ability to do that, offering something different to the other central defenders. The reality is we don’t have right-footers in that position.”

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The situation should change significantly if and when White and Tomiyasu are fit and available for a run of games. Arsenal will have three options at right-back (Timber, White, and Tomiyasu), and four options at right-centre-back (the three right-backs and Saliba).

Right now, only one of those four players is available, and Arteta will have to continue to adapt for at least another game or two.