How do Arsenal replace Hector Bellerin and what are they losing?

Sport <>Football



 Hector Bellerin faces a race against time to be fit for next season

One wonders how many black cats and cracked mirrors Unai Emery passes on his morning commute to London Colney, with Hector Bellerin the third Arsenal player lost to a season-ending injury in his debut campaign as head coach.

Bellerin, Danny Welbeck and Rob Holding were three players who seemed particularly receptive to Emery's methods and equipped with the attributes to fit his vision - speed, intensity, or comfort playing from the back. 

Arsenal confirmed Bellerin will not play again this season after rupturing his cruciate ligament against Chelsea, as he begins a six to nine months rehabilitation period.  

The tactical and physical demands on full-backs in modern football also make it more difficult for a dependable reserve to step in and 'do a job'. Bellerin's qualities are not easily replicated in Arsenal's squad. 

With that in mind, it might take more than Stephan Lichtsteiner and a prayer for Arsenal to prosper without their Cockney-Catalan favourite. 

How big a loss is Bellerin?

Emery's Arsenal have relied heavily on their full-backs (or wing-backs when they play three centre-backs) for width, penetration and attacking production this season. 

The intriguing question for Arsenal fans is whether this is fundemental to Emery's philosophy or a compensation for the lack of natural wingers in squad. 

Listening to Emery speak, it seems to former might be the case. 

“Wing-backs for us, and I think for football generally, give us the opportunity to get wide, and sometimes also the surprise of getting deep,” he told Arsenal's official website.

“They give control with the ball when you have players inside. They can go outside, keeping wide and going deep for the last attacking moment. 

But also it's very important for every team, and for us as well, for them to defensively and tactically have quality.  

“Maybe they can be runners and have the capacity to add the attacking moments when the team needs it. 

They can offer a surprise with an attacking moment. But not forgetting that for every defensive player, the first work from them is defensively." 

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