Borussia Dortmund vs Arsenal: Gunners could call on Hector Bellerin to ease defensive injury crisis
Regular right-back Debuchy is out for 'longer period'
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsene Wenger goes into Arsenal’s first Champions League game of the group stages against Borussia Dortmund tomorrow night with an injury crisis in defence that might yet force him to improvise at right-back with either midfielder Mathieu Flamini or teenager Hector Bellerin.
The Arsenal manager revealed in Germany that Calum Chambers is “50-50” for the match having developed tonsillitis on Sunday. Nacho Monreal has been left behind with a minor back problem. Mathieu Debuchy was already facing a long lay-off following the ankle injury he sustained against Manchester City on Saturday.
Wenger has brought 19 players to Dortmund in order to cover himself in the event that Chambers is unable to play in the game. Bellerin has one senior appearance to his name so far; the 19-year-old Spanish youth international came on as an extra-time substitute in the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion 12 months ago in the League Cup third round.
Wenger said: “The Mathieu Debuchy injury put us in a position where we do not want more and hopefully we have good news after the scan that he can be back soon. We have Chambers who can play in different positions, Monreal who can play centre-back and Bellerin, who I think now is ready to play.”
On Bellerin, Wenger said that he was confident the player, signed from Barcelona and on loan at Watford last season, was ready to make the step up. Wenger said: “He’s a boy with personality. He’s not fazed by the pressure. That’s important when you’re a young boy. His transitional game is fantastic. He’s quick and his final ball is good. He lacks a bit of experience but he’s very dangerous.”
Wenger will leave it until tomorrow to decide whether Chambers is well enough to play. He said that he did not believe Monreal’s back problem was serious and that the Spain international should be back in action by the end of the week. He will also have to decide whether Jack Wilshere will be rested after his performance on Saturday against City.
The consolation for Arsenal is that Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund team are also blighted by injury with six key players injured three games into their domestic season. World Cup winner Mats Hummels is not fit. Marco Reus is still not back from the ankle injury he sustained against Scotland. Ilkay Gundogan has still missed a year’s football with a severe back injury. On top of that Jakub Blaszczykowski, Nuri Sahin, Oliver Kirch and Marcel Schmelzer are all out the game.
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