Three ways Arsenal could line up without Ben White and Jurrien Timber after injury setback | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta facing selection dilemma ahead of the Champions League final following fitness blow for £50m defender

Mikel Arteta is facing a major headache for Arsenal's final three matches of the season.

Ben White has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a suspected MCL injury.

The right-back had hit form again in recent weeks but he was forced off in the first-half against West Ham on Sunday and that has proved to be a significant injury.

White had been playing due to Jurrien Timber's ongoing groin injury. The Dutchman has not featured for two months.

Timber was at the London Stadium on Sunday and on the pitch watching the warm-ups ahead of kick-off, but Arteta was not certain last week that the defender would play again this season.

"There's still a fair bit to do, so everything has to be so smooth and quick if [Timber] wants to have a chance to play any minutes," Arteta said.

Jurrien Timber has not featured for Arsenal since March 14

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Arsenal will be confident they can find solutions at right-back to cope against Burnley and Crystal Palace.

However, it is the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain that will surely give Arteta sleepless nights if Timber is not fit to be involved in Budapest.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has ten goals and six assists in Europe this season from the left wing and is one of the very best in the world.

Here are three options Arteta will consider at right-back if he is without Timber as well as White.

Mosquera was primarily signed as a centre-back to cover for William Saliba and Gabriel but he has been trusted at right-back already this season.

He played the full 90 minutes there in the second leg of the quarter-final tie against Sporting as Arsenal kept a clean sheet to progress to the last-four.

Mosquera also started at right-back against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last month.

He did have a tough time up against Jeremy Doku, making four fouls and getting himself booked in the first-half.

Cristhian Mosquera had his hands full with Jeremy Doku during Arsenal’s loss to Man City this season

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That performance could give Arteta second thoughts about putting Mosquera up against Kvaratskhelia.

However, moving Declan Rice to right-back against West Ham rather than bringing on Mosquera did not work. There is also surely no chance of Arteta taking Rice out of midfield against PSG.

Mosquera would be the most obvious solution and the least disruptive for Arsenal.

Possible Arsenal XI: Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Gyokeres

Riccardo Calafiori

When Arsenal faced PSG in the league phase of the Champions League last season, Timber was forced off with injury at half-time.

Jakub Kiwior came on to replace him and Calafiori shifted over to right-back for 45 minutes.

The Italian was impressive in that unfamiliar role and played in a more reserved way, with less of the roaming forward into the final third.

Calafiori has not played there this season and he has fitness issues of his own, after coming off at half-time against West Ham.

Riccardo Calafiori has experience of deputising at right-back for Arsenal against PSG

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He would, though, be an exciting option and could drag Kvaratskhelia back into his own half tracking back.

Calafiori's tendency to drift inside and pick up positions centrally might also suit Bukayo Saka, who would potentially get more space out wide as a result.

Rice is capable of slotting in to right-back to cover when required if Calafiori is up the pitch in attack.

It would be a bold decision but certainly an intriguing one.

Possible Arsenal XI: Raya; Calafiori, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Odegaard, Eze; Havertz

Piero Hincapie

Assuming Rice is not moved to right-back again and Arteta does not go rogue by playing Martin Zubimendi there or changing formations, Hincapie is probably the only other realistic option.

Hincapie has been superb in his first season at the club and, until Arteta recently settled on a new starting lineup, was effectively first-choice at left-back.

He is reliable one-on-one and has the pace and aggression to match most wingers.

Although Hincapie has no experience at right-back, Arteta might consider shifting him to that flank to do a man-marking job on Kvaratskhelia.

Piero Hincapie has impressed at left-back this season

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Arteta made a similarly big call in 2022. Kieran Tierney was available but Arteta instead opted for Takehiro Tomiyasu out of position just to keep Mohamed Salah quiet and he did a brilliant job.

Tomiyasu was more versatile than Hincapie is, and Arsenal's build-up play and passing angles would suffer if they had the Ecuadorian on the right.

However, if Arteta wanted to focus on stopping Kvaratskhelia cutting inside and wanted someone he could trust to stick with the winger relentlessly, Hincapie could come into consideration.