Arsenal: Carl Jenkinson’s Future Massively In The Balance

Carl Jenkinson was dropped for Arsenal’s weekend hosting of Bournemouth. With Hector Bellerin the established starter, his future is precariously balanced.

With the recent transfer success that Arsene Wenger has enjoyed in being able to recruit talent and resist departures, the Arsenal squad is now deep and loaded and at a variety of positions. That is a wonderful thing, but it also brings its own set of problems.

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For starters, Wenger now has the issue of juggling many players who believe that they are deserving of regular first team football. He then must look to rotate throughout the season, prolonging the sharpness of his best players without sacrificing the quality of the team for the immediate fixture.

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Balancing a large squad is no easy task and it is currently costing Carl Jenkinson his future. The now 24-year-old has the unfortunate task of trying to usurp Hector Bellerin at a position where only one man can play each game. It is not like an attacking role in which the system can be adjusted and adapted to squeeze in form players into the starting lineup.

Rather, full-back offers only one option, and after recently signing a new long-term deal, other than a devastating spate of injuries, that option is Bellerin for a great many years. Jenkinson, consequently, must sit and wait for his opportunity to prove himself. That chance came sooner than expected, and if the most recent team selection is to be believed, Wenger was not impressed.

After starting the previous two fixtures in Bellerin’s stead, Jenkinson was dropped to the bench in favour of Mathieu Debuchy, a man who had almost been forgotten about in and around the confines of the Emirates. However, the Frenchman suffered a hamstring injury early in the match, was forced off the pitch and replaced by Gabriel Paulista.

With the hosting of Southampton in the fifth round of the EFL Cup on the horizon, Jenkinson will assumedly regain his starting role, at least while Bellerin is out. This time, he must take his chance as he may not get another one. Football is painfully ruthless and Wenger must be quick to judge players, however unfairly it may seem.

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Jenkinson is now entering the prime of his career, a career that is seemingly heading towards a likely Arsenal exit.