Mikel Arteta was forced to field his sixth different centre-back pairing of the season away at Aston Villa, as Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber started together.
Unfortunately, it ended in disappointment for Arsenal, as they were unable to prevent a late Emi Buendia winner at Villa Park.
Arsenal are experiencing a major injury crisis at the Emirates Stadium this season, and it was fortunate that Andrea Berta did so much good work over the summer.
Thus far, Mikel Arteta’s squad has been well-equipped to deal with multiple injuries; however, a new issue has arisen in the latest match.
Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber have limited time to build a partnership
For the first time, Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber started an Arsenal match together, which ended in a 2-1 defeat to Villa.
Arteta was forced into making the change following Cristhian Mosquera’s injury, which is set to sideline him for several weeks.
Hincapie and Timber are Arsenal’s sixth different centre-back pairing of the season, despite the Gunners having only played 22 matches.
Arsenal have already had six different centre-back pairings this season…
We're only 22 games into the season, as well…
If you were Arteta, would rush Saliba back from injury or stick with Timber and Hincapie? Let us know your centre back pairing to face Brugge and Wolves… 🤔
The issue for the pairing is that they are getting next to no time in training to forge a connection, with most sessions now being focused on recovery.
Arteta’s team won’t get many clear midweeks over Christmas and will have limited chances to work on small details during training.
Arsenal have looked so well-drilled in defence this season, but their makeshift pairing of Hincapie and Timber just seemed rather shaky.
Hincapie and Mosquera also struggled against Chelsea, highlighting the need for improvements to be worked on in training, with Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba both unavailable.
Saliba should hopefully be back soon for the Gunners, although Arteta will need to ease him back into action to avoid losing him long-term.
Ray Parlour is worried about Arsenal’s injuries
Ray Parlour has admitted that he is worried about Arsenal’s injuries and has highlighted the fact that there won’t be much time to work at London Colney.
“It’s definitely a cause for concern, we have all our centre halves out, Timber has played centre half, but Gabriel and Saliba are out – it’s stacking up the injuries,” Parlour told Stadium Astro.
How many wins will Arsenal secure in their final six matches of 2026?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments…
- Club Brugge (A)
- Wolves (H)
- Everton (A)
- Crystal Palace (H)
- Brighton (H)
- Aston Villa (H)
“I don’t think you do a lot of hard work there in training; it’s a lot of walking through set plays because you know the next game is only around the corner.
“It’s all about recovery now. It’s so important that they recover well for the next game, but this time is so congested.”
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