Arsenal: Per Mertesacker will have to wind back the clocks

Arsenal prepare to travel to Watford at the weekend with a raft of defensive injuries. It could be time for Per Mertesacker to step into the fold and wind back the clocks.

It is an annual ritual: Arsenal will have an injury crisis. Sometimes it comes early in the year; other times it comes later. Sometimes it is at the striker position; other times it is the midfielders. Sometimes the Gunners can deal with it; other times they cannot. But what is certain is that it will come, and this season, like every other, is no different.

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Arsenal were already dealing with several injuries throughout the squad. Santi Cazorla is yet to play this season, Danny Welbeck has been absent for a few weeks, and Mesut Ozil is suffering from a rather peculiar inflammation to his knee that is lingering on. However, the latest raft comes off the back of an international break, hitting one position extremely hard: Centre-half.

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Entering the international break, Laurent Koscielny and Calum Chambers were already dealing with knocks. Neither were available for the home tie against Brighton two weeks ago and both are facing an uphill battle to be fit for Saturday’s tricky trip to Watford.

The situation would be worrisome enough if it were just Koscielny and Chambers absent. However, during Germany’s win against Azerbaijan on Saturday, Shkodran Mustafi was helped off the pitch midway through the first half, with Joachim Low fearing a ligament tear in the post-match interview. Now, while a definite timeline has not yet been revealed, as of writing, it has been confirmed that Mustafi will miss the Watford game. And that is a big problem.

A quick glance at the squad, and you will see only three fit centre-halves: Nacho Monreal, who is a converted full-back, Rob Holding, a 22-year-old of which much is thought of but has been a little inconsistent this season, and Per Mertesacker, a near-retired defender who lacks, seemingly, the pace and athleticism to deal with the modern game.

In Wenger’s 3-4-3 system, all three will be required. If so, it is the latter of the trio that will be tasked with anchoring the defence as the central member of the three. Mertesacker played that exact role tremendously against Chelsea when injuries, again, came to bite Arsenal. He will be needed once more.

Watford are a deceptively dangerous team. They are, under former Hull City Marco Silva, an extremely well-drilled, industrious, and fit side. Sitting eighth in the table, just one point behind Arsenal, they will pose problems for a defence that, while improved in the last month, is vulnerable and can be exploited at times.

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But these are the games that Arsenal are expected to win. If they are to keep with the blistering pace set by the two Manchester clubs at the top, then they cannot afford to drop any points whatsoever, with or without injuries. The process of change and replacement must be seamless. Per Mertesacker must wind back the clocks and anchor this defence exactly like he used.