Ukrainian defender of London Arsenal Oleksandr Zinchenko, who missed five matches of his team due to injury, will be extremely problematic to regain a place in the main squad of the "canoniers". British media write about it in different ways.
It's all about the excellent play of Pole Jakub Kiivior, who replaced the Ukrainian during his injury. Recall, having recovered from his injury, Zinchenko has twice been included in Arsenal's application for the game, but in both cases he came on as a substitute at the end of the match (in the first case - in the 79th minute of the game, in the second - in overtime against Porto in the 1/8 finals of the Champions League).
Here is what "GoonerTalk" writes about Zinchenko's immediate prospects in the context of competition with Kivior.
"Kivior was the unnoticed hero of Arsenal's victory over Porto (1-0, on penalties - 4:2 - ed.), as he played confidently on the left flank of the defence until his substitution in the 105th minute.
The Polish star performed brilliantly in his position while Oleksandr Zinchenko was injured and kept his place even after the latter's return.
In the game against Porto, Kivior showed his class again, making 46 touches on the ball and winning 100 per cent of his aerial duels (3/3). The 24-year-old was also impressive in one-on-one battles with Joao Mario and Francisco Conceição.
But after the replacement of Kiviora and with Zinchenko coming on, the Canaries had more nervous moments. In particular, the Ukrainian's mistake led to an unnecessary corner kick for Porto at the end of overtime, which could have cost Arsenal a trip to the quarter-finals.
In our opinion, Kivior has earned the right to continue playing in Arsenal's starting line-up. He looks unbeatable in his current form," GoonerTalk said.