Arsenal star William Saliba looks set to miss the start of the new Premier League season.
The France international is always one of the first names on the team sheet, and he was integral in the Gunners’ Premier League title win last term.
However, reports have claimed that Saliba has been playing with a broken back and may need to undergo surgery soon.
Arsenal will need to find someone to fill their star centre-back’s shoes, and the solution is available in-house: Ben White.
Arsenal fans, what’s your message to Mikel Arteta and Didier Deschamps for making William Saliba play with a broken back?
Ben White is the perfect William Saliba replacement at Arsenal
White has played at right-back for so long that people have forgotten how good he was as a right-centre-half before William Saliba made his debut.
All the talk since the news about the Frenchman’s injury has been about Cristhian Mosquera replacing him or the Gunners signing Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa.
Some have even suggested moving Piero Hincapie or Riccardo Calafiori in that role, while Graeme Souness believes Declan Rice could move into a central defensive position.
None of the suggestions, however, have been about White, but we think he is the perfect solution.
The England international has already done it in that role in Mikel Arteta’s system. He was incredible in the 2021/22 season and already has an understanding with Gabriel Magalhaes.
Furthermore, White is excellent on the ball, reads the game really well, can start attacks from the back and even drive forward if there’s space.
We don’t know what Arteta will decide, but we feel White is the best option to replace Saliba until he is back fit.
READ MORE: History suggests William Saliba may never be the same player for Arsenal after back injury
Who should replace William Saliba at Arsenal if his injury rules him out for months?
The two concerns about Ben White being William Saliba’s replacement at Arsenal
We stand by everything we’ve said above about White filling in for Saliba, but there are a couple of concerns that Arteta will consider.
The first involves Jurrien Timber’s availability, who said not too long ago that he will be out for a while. White may well be needed at right-back.
The second is the Englishman’s own injury problems. Despite his best efforts, he has missed quite a few games due to fitness troubles.
If both of those are not an issue, we think Arteta should blindly trust White to replace Saliba until he is back fit.
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