Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has reportedly been drilling Ezri Konsa to adjust to playing as a right-back if required.
With the Gunners set to welcome William Saliba back from injury, there is some uncertainty about what it could mean for Konsa, who has performed excellently since joining from Aston Villa in the summer.
Although Saliba was always likely to be first choice again upon his return, Konsa has made himself very hard to drop, and it seems Arteta has been preparing for this by also getting the England international adjusted to slotting in at right-back, according to Football Transfers.
This is something we’ve seen before at Arsenal, with players like Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori arriving primarily as centre-backs, but later thriving as full-backs in Arteta’s system.
Konsa is not a total stranger to playing on the right, as he did it from time to time at Villa, but it seems Arsenal have been doing some extra work to get him really up to speed in that role.
Ezri Konsa can still have a key role to play for Arsenal this season
Konsa has shone for Arsenal and in many ways has performed better than anyone could have expected, even if he also looked a very solid player at Villa.
The 29-year-old has fully earned more trust now in Arteta’s squad, and utilising him at right-back could be a good way to ensure he remains in the starting line up on a regular basis.
With both Jurrien Timber and Ben White struggling with injuries at various points this year, it could prove a major boost if Konsa could come in and perform as well at right-back as he has at centre-back.
Still, over a long campaign we will also surely still see Konsa getting games in the middle as it seems unlikely that Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will get 90 minutes every few days from now until May.
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