Arsenal will miss the majority of their starting XI players in training this week as they will feature for their respective countries in the Nations League.
While the fans want their players to perform well, most importantly they’d want them to return injury-free. They have a tough test in the following weeks as Tottenh*m Hotsp*r and Manchester City await next door.
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori, David Raya, Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Maghalaes (world cup qualifiers), Thomas Partey (AFCON), Declan Rice, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz have reported to international duty.
Among all these players, Rice is certain to miss playing vs. Spurs on the 15th of September. This is due to the unfortunate red card he received against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Hence, manager Mikel Arteta needs to look at alternative options on the bench or experiment with his team’s formation. The Spaniard can either let Havertz play in midfield or push Trossard to the centre of the field. Partey might come in as well.
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But there is another interesting strategy that he can dwell upon: playing five defenders at the back and saving the midfield spot.
Mikel Arteta watching Riccardo Calafiori performance as a centre-back for Italy
As per Gazzetta, Italian centre-back Calafiori will start against France on Saturday. He will be dealing with the extremely fast and fluid French attack. With that being said, Arteta would be watching the 22-year-old play at his favourite position in defence.
The Arsenal boss scouted the player during his time at Serie A club Bologna. Although he rose to fame during the Euros 2024 campaign, clubs were keeping an eye on his statistics as a CB.
We believe that Calafiori can be used as a centre-back in a five-man defense vs Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs. Maghalaes and Saliba can play a supporting role, with Timber and Ben White covering the full-back region.
Riccardo Calafiori’s heatmaps by Sofascore:
☑️Serie A 23/24
☑️Euro 2024I’m really glad that Spalletti didn’t try to reinvent and change what Motta & Riccardo created at Bologna and we can see the ‘full version’ of Calafiori at the Euros.
Another level of a ball-playing CB. 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/oSUUHHElDo
— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) June 25, 2024
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This will help the North London outfit to fill the void left by Rice in midfield. Partey and Odegaard can control the centre of the field.
Calafiori’s inclusion as a left-sided ball-playing centre-back against Spurs (3-5-2) might work wonders. After all, his national side will use him in a similar position.
The former Bologna star was a menace at the back during his time in Italy. The 6’2” boasts insane numbers: 70.8% aerial duels won, 1.89 interceptions, and 7.55 ball recoveries per 90 minutes.
This formation might work well against Spurs’ low-ball, high-value attacking strategy.
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Again, the manager is unlikely to make these changes since he rarely used such a defensive trap. But there is nothing wrong with providing more options on the table.
