How Arsenal could line up in defence vs Chelsea with £27m star now doubtful for derby
Arsenal face Chelsea on the road in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.
Ahead of the London derby, manager Mikel Arteta has a selection headache on his hands with the potential absence of four defenders.
William Saliba is likewise doubtful for the encounter in west London.
It was previously suggested that the £27 million signing was rested for the FA Cup third round win at Portsmouth, but it appears he could be injured.
In that case, Arteta could have a straightforward choice when it comes to picking his defence.
Midfielder Christian Norgaard has started as a makeshift right centre-back on a couple of occasions, but the manager is unlikely to go the same route.
With the huge importance of the fixture, Jurrien Timber would be the standout choice to partner Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence, with Hincapie, Calafiori and Mosquera out, and Saliba doubtful.
The Dutchman has made a handful of appearances as a centre-back for club and country this season.
In such a scenario, Ben White would be an undisputed starter at right-back. The same can be said for Myles Lewis-Skelly from the left-back position tomorrow.
Lewis-Skelly has not been at his usual best after a superb breakout campaign, and he has a huge challenge on his hands against Pedro Neto or Estevao.
Arsenal are winless in their previous three trips to Stamford Bridge. They failed to beat the Blues in the league at the stadium earlier this term despite the hosts playing with 10 men for an hour.
Moises Caicedo received his marching orders for a reckless challenge on Mikel Merino. The Ecuadorian ace is also suspended for the first leg of the League Cup semi-final.
Tomorrow’s game could be another tightly-contested affair. A stalemate won’t be a bad result for the Gunners before the return leg at the Emirates Stadium on February 3.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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