Arsenal teenager could now suddenly get the chance to impress Mikel Arteta in pre-season

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Arsenal head into pre-season with a fairly big problem at centre-back.

William Saliba is expected to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines following his back injury.

Ben White and Jurrien Timber have their own fitness problems after picking up injuries at the tail-end of the title-winning season.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Magalhaes and Piero Hincapie are both returning from the World Cup and may need rest before they are ready to feature.

So yeah, Arsenal’s senior centre-back options look thin at the moment.

Where does Gabriel Magalhaes rank amongst the greatest Arsenal centre-backs of the Premier League era?

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The Gunners start their pre-season campaign away at Girona on 1 August, which they could head into with just Cristhian Mosquera as their only option.

They then play again four days later against Real Betis in Dublin.

Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa is being lined up as experienced cover, but no approach has been made yet.

But Mikel Arteta will be keen to get new players in quick so they can adjust to the demands of the system. No better time for that than pre-season.

Marli Salmon could be the one to benefit from William Saliba’s injury

16-year-old Marli Salmon has been one of the more impressive defenders coming through the Arsenal academy

He has already received a handful of first-team minutes and is reportedly rated highly by people inside the club. He even travelled to Budapest and trained with the squad for the Champions League final.

With the defensive line stretched, Salmon is the obvious in-house candidate to step in for the Girona and Real Betis games.

And the fixtures keep coming after that. The Gunners host Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates on 9 August, and Como on 12 August, before the Community Shield against Manchester City in Cardiff on 16 August.

If Salmon takes his opportunities, there’s a real path to featuring across several of those.

It might not stop at pre-season, either. An early Carabao Cup tie, or even a substitute appearance in the Champions League, isn’t out of the question if Saliba’s recovery takes as long as currently expected.

Jaden Dixon is another name who could feature, particularly with the lack of fit right-back cover they have right now.

Timber shouldn’t be rushed back before the Premier League season starts so there should be a chance for the 19-year-old too.