Struggling Arsenal defender will love Mikel Arteta's positional change hint

Myles Lewis-Skelly very quickly went from hero to zero in this Arsenal team. Last season, the England international burst onto the scene and played remarkably. He scored against the then-champions Man City in the Premier League and produced a masterclass against the then-champions Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Last season, the Hale End graduate seemed to cement himself as a must-starter in this Mikel Arteta team. However, it only took a summer break for Mikel Arteta to change his plans.

At the start of this season, Riccardo Calafiori has seen much more of the pitch in the left-back position that Myles Lewis-Skelly operated last season. The Italian has started every available game this season, leaving Lewis-Skelly twiddling his thumbs on the bench.

Tonight, Myles Lewis-Skelly will harbour hopes of starting his first Arsenal game of the season. The Gunners travel to face Port Vale in the Carabao Cup third round, an excellent opportunity for MLS to stake his claim.

Mikel Arteta hints at changing Myles Lewis-Skelly's Arsenal position

Speaking before the match, Mikel Arteta didn't shy away from speaking about Lewis-Skelly's minutes. The Spanish manager made sure to reiterate that Lewis-Skelly has done nothing wrong, and even hinted at a positional change for the youngster.

In his own words, Arteta said: “It doesn’t mean Myles has done something wrong at all, completely the opposite. So when he has the chance, he has to try to show the level that he’s at, elevate it, and make the decision even harder.”

"[It’s a fluid situation]. Especially because if you look at the amount of time that Myles defends and attacks in certain spaces, he’s much more a midfielder than a full-back."

It would be excellent to see Myles Lewis-Skelly given a chance to impress in the midfield. His traits certainly lend themselves to a central position, where he could arguably make a better impact.

Let's not forget that the midfield is his strongest position anyway, as this is the position he played the most in the academy. His versatility helped him knock on Arteta's door, but now that the left-back door is closed for a while, Myles Lewis-Skelly could return to his natural position.

Mikel Arteta values versatility in his players. He operates a fluid system, so versatility in his players is required.

Lewis-Skelly could impress us all yet again tonight in the midfield, and this would open up more chances for him in the future.