Theo Walcott hands Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta bold solution to coping without William Saliba vs Liverpool

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Mikel Arteta now has a huge selection headache to deal with after William Saliba was sent off against Bournemouth.

William Saliba was shown a red card in the first half of Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday evening after he was deemed guilty of denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. 

As a result of this dismissal, Saliba will be suspended for Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. 

The French centre-back is a key figure in Mikel Arteta’s plans. Saliba played every minute for Arsenal in the Premier League last season, underlining his importance to the North London club. 

Alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, the 23-year-old has forged an impressive partnership in the heart of the Gunners’ rearguard. This reliable duo will now be broken up for the visit of the Reds.

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Theo Walcott tells Mikel Arteta how to replace William Saliba

Arteta does have options to consider when it come to how best to compensate for Saliba’s absence, though not as many as he would have were it not for injuries.

Jurrien Timber is now facing a race against time to be declared fit for this Premier League encounter.

Meanwhile, having recovered from his latest fitness issue, Oleksandr Zinchenko was named on the bench against Bournemouth. 

Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott believes that the Ukrainian left-back should now come into the starting XI against Liverpool, with Riccardo Calafiori moving inside to join Gabriel in the middle of the back line. 

Speaking on Sky Sports (19/10/2024, 20:12), Walcott proposed: “I would probably move Calafiori in. The fact that I would be worried about Salah’s pace, particularly as Calafiori is not the fastest, shall we just say. 

“You might bring in the experience of Zinchenko maybe just to sort of steady, we need probably a bit more of a talker who knows this sort of fixture.”

Should Arsenal call on Oleksandr Zinchenko against Liverpool?

Arteta will be reluctant to use Jakub Kiwior in this fixture, after his nightmare performance against Bournemouth. 

Meanwhile, the Spanish coach cannot rely upon Timber being deemed fit to start in this match.

However, there would certainly be concerns raised if Zinchenko were called upon to start against Liverpool. The 27-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium, and may well be rusty heading into this game.

Zinchenko has been a defensive liability at the back for Arsenal on numerous previous occasions, and lacks pace himself, referring to the concern that Walcott raised about Calafiori. Mo Salah would certainly back himself in a one-on-one situation up against the former Manchester City man. 

However, Zinchenko’s quality on the ball could help the Gunners to take control of the match, and his experience will certainly serve him well in what is a huge fixture for both clubs. Given Saliba’s ineligibility, bringing Zinchenko back into the side may be Arteta’s best option.