Oleksander Zinchenko missed Arsenal’s game against Fulham owing to a calf injury that Mikel Arteta could not clarify the severity of. After witnessing Jakub Kiwior struggle at left back against Fulham, and with Takehiro Tomiyasu joining the Japan national team ahead of the Asian games, Arsenal fans have been worried for the better part of this week that they may not have a recognized fullback when they play Liverpool this Saturday.
Throughout the week, there were numerous suggestions for how Arsenal should handle the matter. Many people did not want to see Kiwior play left back again; thus, some suggested recalling Kieran Tierney after his loan spell at Real Sociedad. There was also speculation about signing a left-back.
The good news is that, for the game against Liverpool, Mikel Arteta has hinted that Oleksander Zinchenko may be available for selection. He said of the Ukrainian international, as per Football London, “He’s progressing well. We have another training session tomorrow. We’ll evaluate if he’s ready to start the game. The rest, there is no news.”
It’s fantastic news that Zinchenko might be fit for selection against Liverpool. I hope he’s back to his best. Anyway, there has been discussion of Arsenal purchasing a top left back, and I believe that is a major move that should not be overlooked. Zinchenko hasn’t been very great at times, and competition may be the perfect way to motivate him to improve.
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