Calum Chambers out for nine months means Arsenal have to test the transfer market.
The news that Calum Chambers will be out for nine months is a body blow but there is a silver lining, well, for the fans anyway.
Obviously, it is harsh on Chambers and no one wants him to be injured but now that he is it is untenable that the club do not at least make an effort to sign a replacement.
Signing David Luiz last summer was a mistake and certainly not enough and allowing Wiliam Saliba to stay in France on loan hardly helped either.
The signing of Kieran Tierney was positive but he is also injured and therefore the Arsenal defence is severely under strength and remains a huge weak point in the team.
Shkodran Mustafi remains an option, Rob Holding should be back soon and there is Konstantinos Mavropanos which means there are at least five centre backs but even Mikel Arteta will know that a five of Luiz, Sokratis, Mustafi, Holding and Mavropanos is not going to cut it.
Arsenal desperately needs a seasoned centre half that knows his way around the Premier League, no point buying in January someone that needs time to adapt.
There is no guarantee that Arsenal will be able to sign a quality centre half this winter but they have to at least try.
The defence cannot be left in the condition it currently is without new additions, it simply is not good enough.
Do not fall into the trap of thinking that after last night that all of a sudden the Arsenal defenders are world-class, they are not, they are poor and a major overhaul is required.
So, it is a downer that Chambers is injured long term but at least the club will now have to confront the challenge of fixing the glaring deficiencies in the Arsenal defence.
If we sign a replacement, it will be a loan, it would be interesting to know what standard of central defenders are available on loan. I like chambers and his attitude and i hope he recovers ok.
I think you’re giving up on Holding too soon. The injury has drained his confidence but there is a good player in there. Hopefully he can take a couple of steps forward on Monday night.
January is no a longer viable option for getting in replacement players, okay we’ve been lucky in the past when
we got Auba from Dortmund, but when it comes down to trying to get a solid centre back clubs aren’t going to be wanting to release them unless they really have to, so if we’re going to really want to get the likes of Upamecano, then basically we are going to have to make do with the players we have and hopefully Kieran Tierney & Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding will be back soon to plug the gaps!!! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆⚽⚽⚽🥅🥅🥅
Luiz was excellent against United
Arguably our best player. Definitely one of our best in that match
Don’t know about Saliba. Hopefully he will come good
So gutted for Chambers as not only will miss the season but will also miss the European Championships as well! Southgate must be well gutted 😢
Future captain, he has confidence in Arteta and Arteta has confidence in him, really bad time to get that injury, even with chambers injury, i think we will focus on the midfield than defense. Our defense needs organisation more than a special defender. Defenders i which we would spend on, Koulibaly, Konate or Demiral, the Upamecano, Rugani and Boateng foolishness is no better than what we have
Very unfortunate for Callum Chambers.
How far off are Holding and Mavropanos from returning from injury?
Very difficult to get a decent CB in January. Lower leagues need to be scouted intensively.
If we are going lower leagues then why not look at last season’s premier League 2 champions. Ballard and Medley formed an outstanding partnership. Northern Ireland international Ballard has had a lengthy injury lay off I know, but the left sided Medley should be match fit, I would take him over Mustafi all day long.
I agree, these players deserve a chance. Following the U23’s, I have never understood the lack of opportunities given to Medley as he has been fit.
Exactly. Reality, we do not have that top CB and a real issue in that area of the pitch, conceiding more occasions and shots than anyone else. Means we are the is one of worst in the league!
I read that it is no top defender available which is crazy when Napoli officially puts Koulibaly, top3 CB in the world for sale!
We have no excuse to not get him as in summer when not allowed to leave, he is now asked to do so, Napoli already identifying and after replacement!
Reds put the money and got Virgil, they pair him with defenders as we have plenty, he makes them better and young ones can learn.
We were under pressure in second half of Man U, could have conceid one and make end of the game total panic ending in chaos as usual!
We have average CBs, not top needed! Until then, we will NT stablise our back 4!
LB & RB are a issue since start of season, we sold both available players in this position to end up with one, Bellerin, and Kolas knowing Tierny came injured, not ready to play and not available til March!
Here, there is options as well, Cancelo available on loan from City and Kurzawa from PSG. I could name more but those 2 would certainly be best than Niles and Saka who are played outa position, then will be benched!
We’re not getting a CB in January.
No EPL team would let us have a first choice defender as due to this strange season virtually every team is either fighting against relegation or for Europa spots. Not worth it for any team unless we overpay by min. 50 % (which we won’t. We’re not ManU).
And players from other leagues – again, getting good value in January plus the adaptation difficulties – don’t see it happening.
And let’s be honest. We have 5 players for 2 positions – Luiz, Sokratis, Mustafi, Holding, Mavropanos. Can you honestly say that any of them is massively worse than Chambers (who would have been a backup to Sokratis anyway)?
If we lost Auba or Torreira, it would be different because their potential replacements are much worse…
Sell mavro and mustafi for 20-25 million and spend it on a cb, new cb.. Sok.. Luiz.. Holding.. That will do us till summer
Jim, you have to get replacements and who is available?
Have you guys not noticed that since the arrival of Arteta we’ve conceeded less? What does that mean? Maybe our defense isn’t as bad as we thought just need more guidance. Before the arrival of Arteta our defenders falls back whenever they are being attacked instead of making a tackle, this made our defense concede a lot of cheap goals like those of Norwich. What am saying is, we need a midfielder right now rather than a defender based on the uncertainty surrounding Xhaka.
Seriously i am surprised at the sudden confidence of Maitland Niles, keep it up boys.