Mikel Arteta shouldn’t even think of doing one thing at Arsenal after Bukayo Saka’s injury, it will backfire

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Bukayo Saka’s injury is a massive blow for Arsenal.

The Englishman has almost always been available since he became a regular for the Gunners, but he is now set for a significant spell on the sidelines.

Mikel Arteta confirmed that Saka will be out for ‘many weeks’, and the Spaniard will now have to find a solution on the right flank for the coming games.

The Arsenal manager has a few options, but there’s one that he shouldn’t even consider.

Mikel Arteta should forget about playing Gabriel Jesus in Bukayo Saka’s position

Saka is Arsenal’s best option on the right wing by a distance, but there are a few others who can play there too if required.

Arteta suggested five options to replace Saka recently – Gabriel Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz.

An argument can be made for each of them, but we think Arteta shouldn’t even consider pushing Jesus out wide in the coming weeks.

Don’t get us wrong, Jesus can definitely play there and is probably the best option among the names Arteta mentioned as potential replacements for Saka.

However, the last thing Arsenal should be doing is changing Jesus’ position after he returned to form last week and scored five goals in two games as a centre-forward.

The best thing to do now is continue with Jesus up front. That’s where he feels confident – changing his position now could ruin that, which would be terrible.

Arteta should consider someone else to fill in for Saka until he’s back.

Arsenal’s best option to replace Bukayo Saka

Filling Saka’s shoes is a humongous task for everybody, but Arsenal have to find a way now.

Martinelli did well against Crystal Palace after he moved to the right, and he is a great option. His pace and running power could cause opponents all sorts of problems.

However, we think Nwaneri is the best option to replace Saka on the right flank.

The teenager may not have the experience that some of Arteta’s other options do, but he is left-footed, can comfortably play out wide and has already shown that he can create chances.

Nwaneri also has the dribbling skills and acceleration to get past his opponents. With Martin Odegaard right next to him, we think he can have a real impact in that position.