Jurriën Timber's pain could become Bukayo Saka's gain

Ahead of a massive week for Arsenal, the last thing Mikel Arteta needs is negative injury news. On Tuesday night, the Gunners will welcome Bayer Leverkusen to North London for the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. Following a cagy 1-1 draw at the BayArena six nights ago, it is winner takes all for a date with Bodø/Glimt in the quarter-finals.

Then, on Sunday, Arteta will lead out Arsenal for their first cup final in six years, taking on Manchester City at Wembley, hoping to hoist the EFL Cup aloft for the first time in 33 years.

However, they could be without four key figures. Mikel Merino is sidelined long-term, Martin Ødegaard hasn't been seen since the North London derby as he is nursing a knee injury, while Leandro Trossard is also a doubt, after hobbling off at Mansfield. Now, Arteta has a concern at right-back, after Jurriën Timber was forced off during the first half of Saturday's ultra-dramatic 2-0 victory over Everton.

The Dutchman has been one of the Gunners' most-important players this season, accumulating 3,309 minutes; only David Raya and Martín Zubimendi have more. Given that he has started 28 of the last 30 Premier League games, being without him for the Carabao Cup Final would be a noteworthy blow. So, who would deputise?

Well, at the weekend, the ever-reliable Cristhian Mosquera was the man who replaced Timber, doing a solid enough job at right-back, as has been the Spaniard's trademark since arriving from Valencia. He was the man called upon because it has seemingly been decided that, at this moment im time, Benjamin White is not fit enough to feature for a long period.

Not so long ago, White was one of the first names on the team sheet, but persistent fitness issues have limited his action this season. He's accumulated just 1,080 minutes across all competitions, not featuring at all in any of the last eight league games, dating back to the defeat against Manchester United. Nevertheless, supporters would love to see a beloved figure feature against Leverkusen.

So, could Arteta's choice of right-back have a knock-on effect further forward? Well, right now, Bukayo Saka is being criticised for not being at his best. The winger put in his most anonymous performances for many years in Germany, thereby hooked and replaced by Noni Madueke, who was substantially livelier. Nevertheless, it was only a week earlier that Saka was the match-winner as the Gunners crucially beat Brighton by the South Coast.

What is clear is that Saka, more than anyone else, is feeling the absence of Ødegaard. Those two, alongside White on the overlap, was the foremost part of Arsenal's attacking pattern when they were at their best in 2023/24. So, that begs the question, with which right-back does Saka perform best?

Bukayo Saka's record alongside Jurriën Timber and Ben White

The numbers show that, while the team as a whole endured worse results when White started over Timber, Saka's output increases. The England international registers marginally more goals and assists per game alongside his compatriot, compared to when the Dutchman is starting.

There are some caveats to these findings. A lot of White's appearances, mostly early on in his Gunners career, came at centre-back, while Arsenal as a team were simply worse in 2021/22 than they are now, making it no surprise that his loss percentage is higher.

Nevertheless, just from the eye test, it is clear to see that White and Saka combine better going forward, with the former overlapping and creating space. So, if Timber is going to miss some crucial fixtures in the run-in, a fully fit White would be a massive bonus.