Arteta sees Arsenal’s wealth of defensive options as an advantage, not a problem

Mikel Arteta rejected the idea that competition for Arsenal’s centre-back places is a problem, after Rio Ferdinand raised the possibility of a selection dilemma when William Saliba is fit alongside Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães. The Arsenal manager said having options available is an advantage for the team.

Arteta explained that having the players fit would give him opportunities to share their appearances and manage the defenders’ workload more effectively. He added that Konsa can play at full-back as well as in his main position of centre-back, and on either side, and that Saliba can perform similar roles for the national team or Arsenal.

Ferdinand had praised Konsa’s performance and solidity, but pointed to the difficulty of leaving Saliba out when he returns. Arteta has previously used Cristhian Mosquera at right-back amid fitness issues for Jurrien Timber and Ben White, according to the report.