Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist agree that Arsenal could be in trouble if one specific player sustains a serious injury.
The Gunners have already had to deal with several fitness problems so far this season, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz all struggling with injuries.
However, Andrea Berta spent £250 million on eight new signings in the summer to provide Mikel Arteta with adequate depth, and this has so far paid dividends.
Despite their injury issues, Arsenal currently sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League after nine matches.
Ally McCoist and Jeff Stelling believe Cristhian Mosquera may struggle if he has to play ‘week in week out’
William Saliba was forced off at half-time against Palace due to an injury.
Cristhian Mosquera stepped up to replace the Frenchman and delivered a typically assured performance for the Gunners in the second period.
The Spaniard has been outstanding every time he’s been called upon since arriving in the summer from Valencia for £13 million.
However, while acknowledging that he’s been ‘exceptional’, Jeff Stelling is concerned that Mosquera may not be capable of performing at a consistent level for a title-challenging team if Saliba were to be out for a lengthy spell.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Ally McCoist agreed with Stelling, despite claiming that the 21-year-old ‘looks the part’.
“We saw Saliba go off and Mosquera’s come on and, by the way, he’s been exceptional so far,” Stelling said.
“Exceptional. Could he be exceptional week in week out in a title-challenging team if they pick up injuries, because he’s just a young boy, you know?
“Oh, I agree with you,” McCoist replied.
“But, I think it was the Liverpool game actually when he came on. I’ll be honest, I genuinely thought that would be a problem for them if one of the centre-backs got injured. That was the biggest thing for Arsenal. But, he looks as though he’s come in, and he looks the part.”
Cristhian Mosquera will be absolutely fine if Arsenal need him
It’s reasonable to have concerns over a young centre-back and his ability to perform at the level required for a team to win a title.
However, Mosquera has already proven that he’s good enough to cope in the Premier League and that Arsenal can maintain their extraordinary defensive level with him in their team.
Saliba is one of the best defenders in the world, and his understudy certainly isn’t going to emulate him.
However, Mosquera has the athletic capabilities that will allow him to flourish in the Gunners’ stable system, while his passing is also at a level that Arsenal can get by with.
If the North Londoners’ talismanic centre-back were to sustain an injury that saw him miss three months of the season, it would be damaging to Arteta’s side, but it ultimately wouldn’t hinder their title charge significantly.
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