The Premier League injury expert Ben Dinnery has suggested playing as a right back could be blamed for Ben White’s recent injury struggles.
White was signed as Arsenal’s most expensive centre-back last season and he played in that position in 2021/2022.
However, William Saliba returned to the club after his stunning loan spell at Olympique Marseille last season and he is now partnering Gabriel Magalhaes at centre-back.
This forced Mikel Arteta to move White to the right-back spot.
The Englishman is still one of the most important members of the team, but he is playing out of position.
Dinnery explains that a new spot requires adaptation and White could be feeling the effect of not playing at centre-back.
He tells Football Insider:
“There are different body positions, different movements, different intensities. You are coming up against players like Wilfried Zaha, who he faces on the opening day of the season.
“You are having to cover greater distances at higher intensities with less recovery time. For a centre-half, you’re expected to cover less distance than a full-back.
“Gone or the days of a static back four. The full-backs are a lot more adventurous. With heat maps, they are placed a lot higher up the pitch. It takes time to adapt.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
White has played as a right-back before now, so playing in that position should not be new to him.
However, Dinnery is an expert in this matter and he is probably speaking the truth.
That does not mean we will change our team’s configuration now.
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