Thomas Vermaelen set to solve Arsenal left-back crisis for three games

By Wayne Veysey | Chief correspondent

Thomas Vermaelen will be asked to solve Arsenal’s left-back crisis against Everton, Manchester City and Aston Villa as Kieran Gibbs is 11 days away from a return to action, Goal.com understands.

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Andre Santos has confirmed that he will be out for three weeks after twisting his ankle in Arsenal’s 3-1 Champions League defeat to Olympiakos on Tuesday night.

Gibbs, who has been out since mid-October, is building up his fitness after recovering from a hernia operation and Goal.com has learned that he has been pencilled in for a comeback on December 19 when Arsenal’s reserves host Chelsea.

With his two senior left-backs on the sidelines, Wenger’s two main options to fill in are vice-captain Vermaelen and rookie defender Ignasi Miquel.

Spaniard Miquel replaced Santos for the remaining 39 minutes at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on Tuesday and played 80 minutes at left-back in the League Cup defeat to Manchester City last week. He also played there in the previous round against Bolton Wanderers.

However, it is understood that Wenger is reluctant to hand 19-year-old Miquel his first Premier League start against Everton at Emirates Stadium on Saturday and is likely to rejig his ever-changing back four by playing Vermaelen at left-back with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker in the centre-half positions.

Wenger has mentioned Vermaelen as a left-back candidate on a few occasions this season but the Belgium international has only actually filled in there as a substitute despite being tried in the role on a few occasions in training. However, he has played at left-back for his country and his former club Ajax.

Should the 26-year-old adjust well to the position this weekend he could also stand in at left-back for the trip to Man City on December 18 and in the match at Villa three days later.

With Bacary Sagna a long-term absentee and his understudy Carl Jenkinson likely to be out for another week with a back injury, Johan Djourou is set to deputise once again at right-back.

This raises the prospect of Wenger fielding four centre-backs in defence against Everton and possibly longer depending on Jenkinson’s recovery.

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