Hardly-seen star now faces ‘tough’ dilemma at Arsenal, even if he solves big Mikel Arteta problem

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Arsenal have now signed defender Riccardo Calafiori, and the depth across the back line is nothing short of outstanding.

Mikel Arteta now has a lot of excellent options in his defence, but this now means that at any given point, there will be a player of starting quality out of the starting lineup.

Calafiori is expected to come in as a left-back, whilst the starting spots of Ben White, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are all but guaranteed after their sensational campaigns last season.

This raises a problem for Jurrien Timber. The Dutchman joined from Ajax last year, but was struck down with a long-term injury on his Premier League debut.

Jurrien Timber could struggle for Arsenal starting spot after Riccardo Calafiori arrival

Journalist Charles Watts has now highlighted the problem Timber faces in his Daily Briefing, that he has now returned from injury to find increased competition for a place.

“When everyone is back fit and available, it’s tough right now to see where Timber will feature. But the key thing is he can play anywhere across that backline and we know that Arteta wants to rotate more this season than he has done previously,” he pointed out.

Jurrien Timber’s versatility will make him a key player for Arsenal

Even if Timber is not in the starting XI, he will still be a vital option this season, and solves some issues that Arsenal faced last season.

Ben White had to play through injury for a good part of the campaign, but Timber now gives Arteta the option to substitute or rest him when necessary.

Whilst Calafiori may start at left-back, Timber could be the first-choice replacement ahead of Takehiro Tomiyasu or Oleksandr Zinchenko if he hits his top form, and if the 22-year-old takes some time to settle, Arteta will have the option of throwing the seemingly reliable Timber in.

• READ MORE: All Mikel Arteta signings at Arsenal ranked from worst to best

At centre-back, Arteta has stated that he does not want Saliba to play every single minute again, and Timber could be key to rotating him out of the team when possible, after impressing at centre-back in pre-season.

This may therefore mean that even if Timber finds himself on the bench, he will have a crucial role to play for the team, even if he would prefer to start.