Speaking in his Sky Sports column, Former player Paul Merson feels that Kieran Tierney’s injury is a big blow for Arsenal.
The Scottish full-back has become one of the Gunners’ most important players over the past few years. He has been consistent this campaign as well and played a big role in bringing the club into the fight for the Champions League spots.
But after the 24-year-old missed the game against Crystal Palace on Monday, there was some worry about his availability. This was confirmed by the north Londoners who said that the player needed surgery on his knee and that the defender would most likely miss the rest of the season.
This is a big blow for the Gunners who are locked in a fight to finish in the top four. Commenting on this, Merson talked about the impact his absence is going to have as he said:
“Kieran Tierney is going to be a big miss for Arsenal, after his knee injury before the Palace game. He’s one of the players you can’t afford to take out of this Arsenal team. He’s solid, he’s an 8/10 every week, he sets an example. He’s a winner – you know what you’re going to get with him, and he was a big miss on Monday night.”
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While the north Londoners do have Nuno Tavares who can deputise for Tierney, the Portuguese youngster looks short on confidence. He played a part in the first two goals that Palace scored and was taken off at half time.
But as the season goes on, Mikel Arteta might realise that he has no option but to play Tavares in that position. The alternative would be to change the formation but since the current one has been working so well, the manager might be hesitant to do that.
It is really unfortunate for Arsenal that they had to lose Tierney at this juncture of the season. Having the Scottish international would have been a huge boost as his defensive solidity and ability to complement the attack has worked wonders in the past. How the Gunners deal with this injury could define where they end up finishing.
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