Myles Lewis-Skelly could be trialled in an unfamiliar position as he struggles to usurp Riccardo Calafiori in the Arsenal XI, a Gunners Premier League title winner has told Sports Mole.
The England international unexpectedly became Mikel Arteta's first-choice left-back during the 2024-25 campaign, where he rose from an academy graduate on the fringes of the first team to a consistent starter in the Premier League and Champions League.
Lewis-Skelly also benefitted from Calafiori's injury-hit first season at the club, but the Italy international has now forced his way back into the starting lineup, making the first XI in each of Arsenal's first three top-flight games of the 2025-26 campaign.
Lewis-Skelly has therefore been restricted to just 40 minutes of Premier League football in the current term, and he was an unused substitute in the Gunners' 1-0 loss to Liverpoolat Anfield just before the international break.
However, Arsenal's former title-winning left-back Nigel Winterburn believes that his compatriot could instead be deployed at right-back, as could Calafiori, saying: "I think Mikel will rotate them all.
Winterburn suggests Lewis-Skelly could play right-back for Arsenal
Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly pictured on September 19, 2024
"He can even play Myles in centre midfield when needed. He is so versatile, there is an option of right-back as well for him. Same with Calafiori, who can play at centre back or right back.
“But, I have to say Calafiori has impressed in the opening three games. Scoring a goal was great, but he has looked assured defensively, gave Salah nothing and goes forward with the ball very well.
“He is always looking to drive forward and never lets his defensive duties slack off, he is always in the right place.”
Lewis-Skelly predominantly featured as a deep-lying midfielder when coming through the Arsenal youth system, but he has almost exclusively played on the left for the senior side, the one exception being a brief engine-room cameo against Manchester City in September 2024.
The 18-year-old has now produced one goal and two assists in 41 matches for the Gunners, and he could win his fourth cap for England when the Three Lions host Andorra in Saturday's World Cup 2026 qualifier.
Is Lewis-Skelly at right-back realistic for Arsenal?
Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly pictured on May 7, 2025
One does not need to be an Arsenal supporter to realise just how much Arteta loves an adaptable player, and having learned his trade as a midfielder before switching to left-back duties, Lewis-Skelly is exactly that.
However, the left-footed teenager would almost certainly just be an emergency option on the right-hand side of the defence, where Ben White and Jurrien Timber are both fighting for minutes in Arteta's system.
It is not entirely impossible to envisage Lewis-Skelly operating as a right-back, as Arteta does have previous when it comes to using defensive midfielders in that area; see Thomas Partey throughout most of last winter.
Gooners did not often enjoy seeing the Ghanaian in defence, though, and with good reason; Arsenal won just two of their nine Premier League games in the 2025-26 campaign when Partey operated as a right-back.
Lewis-Skelly's greater experience as a full-back must of course be taken into account, but for now, the England international must surely focus on his battles with Calafiori and new signing Piero Hincapie for left-back minutes.
Nigel Winterburn was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of William Hill.
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