As long as the prognosis on the injury problem to the Arsenal and Spain international star is right and we have Hector Bellerin back in action again for the match next weekend then I think his absence should not turn out to be a problem for Arsenal in the grand scheme of things.
Arsenal have already got through to the next round of the FA cup without the Spaniard at right back, although it was a much harder game against Preston North End than we would have liked, and there is good reason to expect us to do the same away to Swansea City in the Premier League this weekend.
I do not think I would have been half as confident about this last season or even earlier in this one, but since then the Swans have endured a miserable run and are lacking in form and confidence. One of the big reasons for that and for my belief that Bellerin will not be too badly missed is that their pacy and dangerous winger Jefferson Montero is also on the injury list and has only started three games all season.
It was not too long ago that Montero absolutely terrorised Bellerin in one of the right back’s early first team games and I would fear him doing the same to either Gabriel or Maitland-Niles if he was fit. Without him Swansea have to improvise and use the tricky but not very fast Sigurdsson or someone like Dyer or Routledge.
So can Arsenal take on Swansea without worrying too much about the absence of Bellerin?
Sam P.