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Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Ben White faces an extended spell on the sidelines spanning "many, many weeks," effectively ending his Arsenal season and potentially ruling him out of the World Cup too.
White hobbled off during the first half of Sunday's nervy win over West Ham United after sustaining what has been described as a "significant medial knee ligament injury."
"It looks like a long-term injury," Arteta told reporters on Thursday, "so at the moment the focus is when we can have him back to be available for Arsenal, and that's not going to happen for many, many weeks."
White's forced departure against West Ham sent shockwaves through the entire Arsenal lineup. Arteta initially moved Declan Rice into the role with limited success before turning to Cristhian Mosquera at halftime. Ultimately, the Gunners needed a highly contentious VAR ruling to leave the London Stadium with the three points.
With two Premier League matches remaining and the not-so-small matter of a Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain—who possess the finest left winger on earth in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia—Arteta faces a critical decision at right back.
"We need to look at alternatives," the Arsenal manager cautioned. Here are some options for him to weigh up.
Rush Jurriën Timber Back
Ideally, Jurriën Timber would complete his much-anticipated recovery from a groin injury in time for the Champions League final. The Dutch fullback is Arsenal's most well-rounded one-on-one defender and would give the team the best shot at containing Kvaratskhelia. The challenge lies in getting him back to peak condition.
"He has progressed a little bit in the last few days," Arteta disclosed midweek. "He's feeling better. We are going to try to get him fit and available as quick as possible, but let's see.
"Obviously he's been out for a while, unfortunately. He's such an important player for us, we all know that, and he's doing everything he possibly can to help the team in any capacity."
When pressed on whether Timber could return before the season's end, Arteta acknowledged: "There is a chance, but how big that chance is, I cannot tell you. He is going to do everything he can to make that chance as big as possible and that's the challenge ahead."
Trust Cristhian Mosquera
With both Timber and White unavailable this season, Mosquera has been Arteta's most frequently used fallback option. The tall center back tends to press tightly against his opponents, which could prove a dangerous approach against a slippery mover like Kvaratskhelia, who has mastered the art of spinning fullbacks and driving toward goal.
Mosquera represents the least risky of an uncomfortable set of choices. The 21-year-old will likely feature on the European stage, though Arteta may lean toward more attack-minded options in domestic fixtures.
Sacrifice Declan Rice
Rice highlights the dilemma Arteta faces; all of his alternative right back candidates have so few appearances in that role that it's nearly impossible to gauge their true capability. "The sample is so tiny," he lamented. "It's very difficult to judge a player when he has low minutes."
Against Brighton in December, Rice put in a remarkable individual performance from the fullback spot. "He was exceptional," Arteta recalled of that display, which stood in stark contrast to his showing at West Ham. "The other night, it was something else," the Spanish manager admitted.
There is a certain logic to deploying Rice at right back. When facing sides that will sit deep—such as Arsenal's next two opponents, Burnley and Crystal Palace—Rice can offer an additional presence in midfield, flooding that vital zone. This approach drew the best from him against Brighton yet left him badly exposed on his return to east London. Whether Arteta will take that gamble again remains to be seen.
Experiment With Riccardo Calafiori
One of the more surprising solutions put to Arteta came during his midweek press conference: why not deploy Riccardo Calafiori on the right side?
The natural left-footer has minimal experience operating on his weaker flank and is himself managing fitness concerns during these pivotal final weeks. Arteta didn't outright dismiss the idea but treated it with the caution it warranted. Surely there must be a more sensible answer to Arsenal's right back headache than an injured left back?