Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta abandons 'Plan A' in worrying development for summer signing

Mikel Arteta’s vision for Jurrien Timber has seemingly changed since Arsenal splurged £38million to sign him from Ajax last year.

The versatile Dutchman can play across the back-four and even in midfield, though he was originally brought to the Emirates Stadium to provide competition for Ben White at right-back, according to reports.

Timber tore his crucial ligament on his competitive debut for the Gunners and missed virtually all of his first season in north London. In the time he has been out injured, White has solidified himself as an invaluable starter at right-back, while left-back has developed into a problem area for Arteta.

Timber could see to that, however. The 23-year-old was immense on the left side of defence against Tottenham on Sunday as he kept Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert under lock and key.

Looking ahead to this weekend’s bumper showdown with Manchester City, Arteta will surely be looking to start Timber at the Etihad Stadium. With the former Ajax man excelling on the left, Arteta’s ‘Plan A’ of playing him on the right could effectively be thrown out.

And that’s bad news for summer signing Riccardo Calafiori. The Gunners spent a whopping £42m to sign him from Bologna with a view to either playing him at centre-back or left-back.

Full-back is Calafiori’s most-likely route into the starting line-up, given that Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have developed into one of, if not the best centre-back pairing in world football.

But with White now established on the right and Timber threatening to follow suit on the opposite flank, Calafiori could find himself consigned to the substitutes’ bench unless an injury strikes one of his team-mates. Midweek matches like the one against Atalanta in the Champions League this Thursday night could prove invaluable to Calafiori in his efforts to change Arteta’s mind.

Although banking three points from their European opener is important, Arteta will be desperate to avoid further injuries ahead of the trip to City, particularly with captain Martin Odegaard already recovering on the sidelines. Rotation is therefore inevitable.

Next week’s Carabao Cup clash at home to Bolton Wanderers could also be a vital opportunity for Calafiori and the rest of Arsenal’s fringe players to prove their worth. Arteta has set about giving the Gunners strength in depth over the past few transfer windows, though that naturally introduces the tricky balancing act of keeping every player happy.