Mikel Arteta could be forced to change £45m Arsenal star’s position vs Southampton after injury scare

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal are scheduled to face Southampton in the Premier League following their win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

The Gunners were really dominant over Luis Enrique’s side. They were on another level, especially in the first half, and deservedly won the game.

There were a lot of positives for Mikel Arteta to take from the win. He would’ve been very happy with the performance and the clean sheet.

However, there was one big injury scare at the Emirates on Tuesday night.

Mikel Arteta could be forced to change Thomas Partey’s position for Arsenal vs Southampton

Arsenal’s squad is very settled when all the players are fit – everyone knows the position they will be playing in even if they are capable of featuring in several different roles.

However, injuries force changes, and that could be the case against Southampton on Saturday.

During the win against PSG, Jurrien Timber felt a muscular issue in the first half and was withdrawn at the break. Arteta claimed after the clash that he did not want to take any risks.

Arsenal released several pictures from their training session on Thursday and Timber was nowhere to be seen. To add to that, even Ben White, who has a groin injury, was absent from those images.

It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but there is a chance that both Timber and White could be unavailable for the game against Southampton this Saturday.

That leaves Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back, but the Japan international only just returned from his long-term injury, and it’s not clear if he is ready to start.

So, we think Arteta could be forced to make a drastic change at right-back and deploy Thomas Partey there, just like he did at the start of the 2023/24 season.

READ MORE: Thomas Partey is now playing his best football in years for Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has found the formula

What happened when Partey played at right-back for Arsenal in 2023/24?

Gabriel Magalhaes started on the bench in Arsenal’s first three Premier League games of the 2023/24 season. William Saliba and Ben White formed a partnership in the heart of the defence.

Arteta had to find a solution at right-back, and the Arsenal manager chose to go with Partey – the £45 million man started the first three games there.

Arsenal won the first two fixtures, beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 and Crystal Palace 1-0. In the third game, they were held to a 2-2 draw by Fulham.

Partey’s record at right-back isn’t bad, but we prefer him in the middle of the park. But, injuries could force Arteta to play him out of position on Saturday.