Arsenal: Does that mean we’re losing Ainsley Maitland-Niles?

Arsenal are getting a slew of players back form the injury list, but does that mean we have to bid farewell to Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the starting XI?

One of the big perks behind hiring Unai Emery as the new Arsenal manager was that he seemed to have a clear plan centered on getting the absolute best out of Ainsley Maitland-Niles (among other things, of course).

The injury got in the way of things, but Maitland-Niles has just now been working his way back into the starting XI and he has been making the absolute most of it. And he isn’t being confined to fullback either, the position that hinders his strengths. He is flexing out at wingback and, when there is a back four in place, he even plays further forward as a winger.

And it’s all worked. It’s worked damn well. So well that he looked to have a position on lockdown, even in the Premier League. But the truth behind the veil was that, unfortunately, he was playing so much because there were so many injuries.

Now that those injuries have run their course, the question that I want answered is – has Maitland-Niles started his last Premier League match for awhile?

As much as it sucks to think about, there isn’t much way around it, unless Unai Emery wants to be really bold and start him in front of some clear incumbents. It’s no debating that Hector Bellerin should be immediately implemented as the wingback, which he will be. And he will also be playing as the right fullback, naturally.

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That eliminates both of those opportunities.

As far as playing on the wings, that is where his last hope lies, but it doesn’t look good there, either. With Mesut Ozil returning, the only hope Maitland-Niles has is of playing right wing in a 4-2-3-1, but that would require benching Guendouzi and either Lacazette or Aubameyang (we know who would win out there) and frankly, neither of those sounds very good.

The only other option, and it’s an option that makes me perk up, but it will require some serious cajones by Emery, is to go with the 4-3-3, sit Mesut Ozil, start his three midfielders and let Iwobi and Maitland Niles handle wide creative duties.

That’s the only way we don’t lose Maitland-Niles. So what’s it going to be? Ozil’s prolonged stay has already cost us Aaron Ramsey, are we really going to let him drive Maitland-Niles out of the starting XI too?

Sorry, maybe I’m still a little bitter about the Ramsey news.