Arsenal: So, who’s comfortable with this centre-half group?

With the deadline passed, Arsenal now have Sokratis, Shkodran Mustafi, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Shkodran Mustafi as fit centre-halves. Is anyone actually comfortable with that group?

The transfer window has shut. In a rather uneventful deadline day, Arsenal completed only one move of any nature: the £4 million sale of Lucas Perez. It did not come as a surprise to anyone. If there were to be any incomings on this often panic-fuelled day, then it would have been at the centre-half position.

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But there wasn’t. That leaves Unai Emery with only four fit centre-halves to start the season — Calum Chambers was, oddly, unexpectedly and perhaps somewhat foolishly, loaned out to Fulham for the season, while Laurent Koscielny will not return to action until December at the very earliest.

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Those four fit central defenders are: Sokratis Papastathapoulos, signed for approximately £17 million this summer; Shkodran Mustafi, a player who has suffered a tumultuous first two seasons in north London but does show promise; and two young prospects in Rob Holding and Konstantinos Mavropanos, on which much will be placed, especially in the early part of the year. It is hardly a convincing quartet.

Mustafi and Sokratis will be the starters. They are the most experienced of the four, with Mustafi the only one to have any prior familiarity with being a regular starter in the Premier League, and Holding and Mavropanos will be vying for the third centre-back position and both most likely starting in the domestic cups and Europa League group games. One of the two will be the first reserve in the Premier League should any injury or suspension hit between now and Koscielny’s return.

And let’s talk about Koscielny’s return. There is no guarantee that he will actually return when he does. A 32-year-old (he will turn 23 in September), whose body has laboured for many years, recovering from a ruptured Achilles, a notoriously difficult and nasty injury, returning to the squad in the peak time of the season — during the manic Christmas fixtures. This is not your average rehabilitation process.

As we saw two seasons ago with Per Mertesacker, who was a year younger than Koscielny is now and has not consistently struggled with injuries like the Frenchman, when he tried to recover from a knee injury, it was not until February/March time that he was able to start. Or as we saw with Santi Cazorla and his ailing ankle problem. Older players do struggle to return from injuries as quickly and comprehensively.

It is not inconceivable that Arsenal may have to survive through the whole of next season with the four centre-backs that they currently possess and are fit. I’ll be honest, that is not a situation that I am comfortable with whatsoever. In fact, I ask, is anyone actually comfortable with that situation? I would suggest that it is a little naive or overly-optimistic to be so.

It remains to be seen how all this plays out. Mavropanos could make the major strides that he hinted at. Sokratis could shine in a new league like he never has before. Mustafi could finally deliver on his skill set. Koscielny could make a remarkable recovery. But that is a lot of things to go right for the Gunners to simply be decent at the position, nevermind elite. This is an uncomfortable situation indeed.