Arsenal wing wizard Bukayo Saka will not have to win his place back in the team from Ethan Nwaneri when he returns from injury, Gunners legend Ray Parlour has told Sports Mole.
Mikel Arteta has been without the influential Saka since December due to a serious hamstring problem, although the England international is expected to be back in contention after the March international break.
Fellow Hale End product Nwaneri has helped to soften the blow, producing a man-of-the-match display in last weekend's 2-0 win over Leicester City and coming up with seven goals across all competitions so far this season.
However, Nwaneri was more ineffective in Saturday's shock 1-0 home loss to West Ham United, where the absences of Saka and other attackers were majorly felt, and Parlour expects the latter to waltz back into the team when he is back fit.
"No," Parlour replied when asked if Saka had a fight to get back into the team over Nwaneri. "Bukayo is one of the first names on the team sheet and when he returns and fully fit, he will be straight back in the team. Both Saka and Nwaneri can play in the same side, so that is an exciting prospect for Arsenal.
"The Hale End talent has produced another gem in Nwaneri and it's credit to Arsenal for their managing of him and now he can flourish and have a big end to the season. Saka is missing massively, but Nwaneri is making it that little bit easier."
How can Arteta fit Saka, Nwaneri into the same team?
© Imago
The prospect of both Nwaneri and Saka operating in the same XI is a very exciting one as Parlour affirmed, and it would make a pleasing change for Arteta to have the best kind of dilemma in the final third as opposed to his current quandary.
The two Englishmen are most effective down the right flank, but the only viable solution for both to continue down that side would be an unexpected switch to a 3-4-3 shape, with one starting up front and the other as a wing-back.
It has been suggested by Gunners expert Charles Watts that Arteta should consider starting with three central defenders given how few attacking options he currently has, but for the time being, the Spaniard should persist with his standard 4-3-3.
Saka and Nwaneri have only started in one game this season, September's 5-1 EFL Cup victory over Bolton Wanderers, where the former featured in his favoured right-wing role and Nwaneri started in the number 10 position.
However, Martin Odegaard will almost certainly not be dropped while he is fully fit, although there is the possibility that the Norwegian or Nwaneri could play the left eight 'Declan Rice' role, in turn pushing the Englishman to the number six slot and demoting Thomas Partey entirely.
What Rice brings as an advanced midfielder and what Partey brings to the defensive role should rule out that possibility, though, meaning that for the time being, Arteta might have to stick Nwaneri up front to fit him and Saka into the same side.
The Spaniard has previously suggested that the 17-year-old can play in a central attacking role, where Mikel Merino failed to make his mark against West Ham, and the season-ending injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus means that such a solution should not be ruled out.
Ben Knapton
