**Arsenal**are closing in on a spot in the next round after a 7-1 first leg Round of 16 victory over PSV.
Mikel Arteta shall not allow for slacking. But he has an opportunity to rest, rotate, and try some new ideas to continue to evolve through the offense through its injury crisis. What could he attempt to do?
How will the offense operate?
All three first choice forwards for the Gunners have been absent in the last month. **Bukayo Saka**was already out of action ahead of the new year due to a hamstring injury, and **Gabriel Martinelli**made way in the first half of the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg with the same issue. Once the winter window closed and **Kai Havertz**was also out for good until the end of May, alarm bells blared fully.
Thankfully, the Brazilian blessed the squad with a return sooner than expected. He has half an hour in his legs following the trip to **Old Trafford**and even on the right wing, he brought an additional threat through his knack of unleashing a quick first step to get in behind defences. It was a welcome sight.
But Martinelli might not even feature at all for another reason. The 23-year-old is one yellow card away from missing the first leg of the quarter-final. His speed on the transition is a weapon that no one rivals in the squad, and Arteta will not want to squander it on an appearance that is not necessary.
That suspension could still arise later in the tournament. In any case, this second leg is a rare moment when the manager can afford to truly test out other options in the final third without too much risk.
**Raheem Sterling**stayed on the bench on the weekend. He does not look like he is going to click into gear before his loan spell comes to an end. But it is one of his last chances to try and spark into life.
**Kieran Tierney**has taken some more time in his place as a left winger. His expert eye for a delivery as a marauding, old-school left back still seems intact. Though the targets to convert his crosses are another question altogether, he is well in the running to earn more minutes in an advanced position.
Mikel Merino is a tried and tested option at striker with his flaws. It might be to put another player in the role. That might be Leandro Trossard or perhaps Nathan Butler-Oyedeji gets his go at long last.
Will White restore more of the right’s flexibility?
The **Arsenal**attack has always relied on its right side since the team has truly blossomed. For two straight seasons, its three pieces were Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Ben White. But their struggles with injuries (White with his knee and Saka with his hamstring), as well as form (Odegaard looking less incisive without his running mates), have highlighted the Gunners' woes this campaign.
**Jurrien Timber**took on the role of a right back from White after the 27-year-old undertook surgery in November. He has been an admirable replacement with his tigerish bite in the tackle and skill with the ball in tight spaces. Much more often, he chooses to tuck into more central areas of the pitch and that creates a different set of dynamics to those that have tended to grace the view of Gunners' fans.
Given the spate of injuries, Arteta being spoilt for choice at right back is a welcome change. At times, it has been better for Timber to try to give width on the outside and this type of offensive support from a fullback comes naturally now to White. His running could be a benefit for a rising star of the side.
Ethan Nwaneri is not Saka, but one of his best traits is his trigger shot from the edge of the penalty area. If a right back is a threat on the outside, and less likely to clog up the spaces where he wants to strike, then there are different options that teams need to defend. While the original 'star boy' still sits in the stands, White would be a helpful ally for the 17-year-old, and the pair need time to acclimate.
Timber is also one yellow card away from a ban. Arteta would be wise to avoid taking that risk and, at the same time, add another string to the bow of an offense that needs as many options as it can muster.
How much movement will there be in midfield?
It is a lot clearer how Arteta may choose to rest and rotate in the back four. Riccardo Calafiori came from Italy as a central defender and might earn more minutes in his old position in place of Gabriel Magalhaes. Jakub Kiwior could start as the left back and Oleksandr Zinchenko is also an option.
**Thomas Partey**and Jorginho, two veterans nearing the end of their deals and in all likelihood their stints in north London, can exchange duties for the slot at the base of the three in the middle of the park. Ahead of them, there has been less load management for two leading lights in the eleven.
Declan Rice remains an all-action stalwart, who has gone from strength to strength this season as he has come closer to his physical peak. On the other hand, **Martin Odegaard**is operating a step slower than usual as the creative spark. But both have been burdened to take on too many midfield minutes.
If Nwaneri does not fill a more central role, then there could be more minutes for Zinchenko in the middle of the park. The Ukrainian was a midfielder in his youth days and as an inverting fullback, he had shown his skill with the ball, improving the dynamics on the left side in the 2022/23 season.
His athletic flaws and lapses in focus have capped his contributions as a left back and there is a reason why Arteta would not have wanted to use him in midfield before he began down that path in the 1-0 loss to West Ham United. But all bets are off, all options are on the table, and it is one to consider.
The left looked strong in the first phase of the first leg due to the constant rotation and ball movement that Zinchenko used to offer. Even if he fulfils a role in the midfield merely to take minutes away from Rice or Odegaard, it would be a worthwhile choice from Arteta as the business end of the season nears.