3 ways Arsenal could line up in defence for first leg vs Real Madrid

Arsenal have been asked to climb mountain after mountain this season, and their latest Everest summit may dash their Champions League hopes.

Gabriel is one of the cornerstones Mikel Arteta's Gunners simply can't function without. Errors once plagued his promising game, but the Brazilian has evolved wonderfully into a level-headed operator with an almost complete profile.

His hamstring injury, sustained last week in the 2-1 win over Fulham, will see him miss the remainder of the season. As a result, Arsenal face Real Madrid without, arguably, their best-performing defender over the past two seasons. Gabriel, thanks to his comfort in a high line and outstanding capacity to defend his box, helped the Gunners to the best defensive record in the Premier League last season, and Arteta's men look set to reclaim that honour this term.

In short, his void is sizeable, and Madrid will doubtlessly be keen to exploit a sudden chink in Arsenal's armour. Arteta must stumble upon the optimal solution for the upcoming two legs against the perennial Champions League victors, but the Spaniard does have options.

Here are three ways Arsenal could line up in defence against Madrid in Tuesday's first leg.

1. Timber - Saliba - Kiwior - Lewis-Skelly

Jakub Kiwior has been a spare part for the Gunners this season, but the Pole has suddenly become incredibly important at work.

He replaced Gabriel against Fulham and was included in the starting XI at Everton on Saturday. The majority have perhaps been bullish on anyone but Kiwior partnering William Saliba against Madrid's superstars, but the defender's sound performance in a tough environment on Saturday was a reminder of his competence.

Kiwior is the most natural fit to replace Gabriel, but many will be concerned by his lack of athleticism and sub-par aerial ability. He's also averaging the most errors leading to an opposition shot in the Premier League, among the Arsenal squad, per 90 minutes this season (0.36).

Kiwior is serviceable, and he'll ensure Arsenal's build-up dynamics aren't compromised, but Madrid will smell blood if he's in the starting XI. We all remember what Leroy Sane did to him in last season's Champions League quarter-final, although he does look far more comfortable playing in tandem with Saliba as opposed to defending on an island in wide areas.

2. Timber - White - Saliba - Lewis-Skelly

Despite Kiwior's display at Goodison, many are keen to see Arteta shake things up at centre-back. If Kiwior doesn't start, Ben White is a fine alternative. The Englishman started his senior career as a centre-half before Arteta converted him into an effective two-way full-back after he arrived in north London.

White performed well against Liverpool at the heart of Arsenal's defence back in October but hasn't played much football since. He returned from knee surgery in February and made just his second start since mid-November at the weekend. The defender is yet to return to the level which saw him regarded as an indispensable figure. White started the season poorly as a result of his nagging knee issue and has manifested plenty of rust over the past few weeks.

When fit and firing, White would undoubtedly be a superior option to Kiwior, especially as a result of his ability in the air, but his issues this season means I'd be hesitant to start him alongside Saliba at centre-half - even if he might cope a little better defending centrally as opposed to out wide against Madrid's lightning-quick wingers.

3. White - Saliba - Kiwior - Timber

Jurrien Timber is a shoo-in to start on Tuesday night, and the Dutchman will be used out wide in a bid to combat the threat of either Vinicius Junior or Rodrygo. He's the best one-on-one defender at Arteta's disposal.

Vini Jr may not be enjoying the most productive of seasons, but his game-breaking talent is undeniable. Rodrygo, on the contrary, is more subtle in his approach but nonetheless showed his devastating ability early on in the all-Madrid tie which Los Blancos just about escaped. Using Timber at left-back to shun Rodrygo is a possibility, with Ben White starting at right-back and Kiwior continuing alongside Saliba.

For me, this is the most unpopular option of the three mentioned. Myles Lewis-Skelly, despite a few disciplinary issues and his giveaway of a phantom penalty at the weekend, does not deserve to be dropped. Our left-hand side was stodgy and incoherent when Timber played off the left. The teenager facilitates greater fluency.

There are perks from deploying White at right-back, given Madrid's struggles at tracking dynamic runners from deep, but can we rely on him to make surging runs forward constantly? For me, the drawbacks largely outweigh the cons with this setup.

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