Arsenal star left in the cold tipped to be the solution to Mikel Merino problem

Myles Lewis-Skelly has been tipped to star in Mikel Merino’s absence for Arsenal.

Merino is set to miss the majority of the remainder of the campaign with a suspected broken foot, meaning there is space for someone to step up.

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Merino can play in most central midfield positions and up front, but on the latest Inside Gooners, the panel suggested Myles Lewis-Skelly as is replacement.

The England international broke into the Arsenal team last season as a left-back, but he is usually a central midfielder.

Merino’s misfortune could be Lewis-Skelly’s gain, given he’s barely played in the Premier League this season.

Speaking with host Nick Bright, Arsenal content creator Clive Palmer said: “We might see Myles change position just a little bit, and that would be something I am interested to see .

“I know when I watch him sometimes, there is a bit of risk on the ball, and you wonder if that is going to be trusted in the centre of the pitch, but you don’t know until you find out.

“I would like to see him in a different position on the pitch.

“I think by moving him inside, he can go back to being himself because there are people behind him, but you can’t mess about in there, you’ve got to be sharp and move the ball.

“So, I am interested to see what it looks like.”

And former Gunners winger Adrian Clarke is in full agreement.

“I’d like to see Lewis-Skelly tried there,” Clarke said. “I do like the way he carries the ball from midfield, and he does try to play those forward passes, but he will have to sharpen up because if you lose the ball there, then we are in trouble.

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“His defending at one versus one at left-back hasn’t been good. So, in a way, is it less risky to try him in that position than at full-back.

“He was hailed as one of the best Hale End graduates in a generation as a midfielder, not as a left-back, so this is crying out for the experiment to be give a go.”

How much of a blow will losing Merino be?

Since his arrival from Real Sociedad, Merino has become one of Arsenal’s leaders.

But he also scores very important goals, and they will need to find a way to replace that.

In truth, Lewis-Skelly is unlikely to be that man long-term.

And Clarke is concerned to be without Merino for a period of time, saying: “He’s like two or three players rolled into one, so he can be your striker, he can be your number ten, he can be the number eight and number six.

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“We saw against Portsmouth where he slotted into a holding role and did a great job, so he is a manager’s dream, really.

“The only blessing is that we’ve lost him and Kai Havertz has come in, and Kai is the closest in mould to Mikel Merino, so we don’t lose all of those attributes in Merino’s absence, but it’s a real choker for him.”

Palmer agrees, adding: “We are going to miss him. I think he’s excellent at defending, but when there is pressure, his finishes are the same, and the manager is going to miss him because if he’s got a problem, he can just stick him in there.”

Who else could step in?

Given Lewis-Skelly has started one Premier League match this season, there is a real chance that Arteta looks for a different option.

If that were the case, then Christian Norgaard is in contention.

The Denmark international joined the Gunners from Brentford in the summer, with the idea that he wouldn’t play too many minutes.

And in the Premier League that has certainly been the case; Norgaard making just three substitute appearances so far for the Gunners.

But Clarke believes that as the games continue to come thick and fast, Norgaard will get more opportunities.

“I think he’s played well recently. In the Kairat game, I know Kairat is not the highest level of European football, but I thought he was really good in that game,” Clarke said.

“He made a lot of incisive passes and didn’t do anything wrong.

“I think he’s warming to the task. He’s probably feeling a bit more comfortable as an Arsenal player because he initially might have had a bit of imposter syndrome.

“Coming from Brentford, he’s never played for a huge club like this, and I think he just wasn’t quite himself, but he’s well into his time here now…

“He could be really important in certain games. If Rice or Zubimendi get injured, it puts a lot of pressure on a Norgaard.”

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