As Arsenal are up against Brighton in a crucial Premier League match, the lineups of the Gunners has raised the majority of eyebrows.
The Gunners have returned to the Premier League action against the Seagulls at the Emirates Stadium and Mikel Arteta has fielded a strong side.
Bukayo Saka is going to be on the wings along with Leandro Trossard, while Viktor Gyokeres up top for the North London Club.
But the interesting thing has been the position of Declan Rice, who has been slotted in as a right back. Arsenal are playing a 4-3-3 formation with Merino, Zubimendi and Odegaard in the midfield, while Rice has been deployed with defensive duties on the right-hand side.
Why is Declan Rice playing as Right back?
Arsenal's midfield engine Declan Rice is playing at right back as there is a scarcity
of full back at the club due to injury issues. Ben White is out with a hamstring injury, while Cristhian Mosquera is also absent due to an ankle problem.
Amid this, Rice has replaced Jurrien Timber, who was not included in the matchday squad by Mikel Arteta. Gabriel Magalhaes is back in the side and starts from the bench.
Is Jurrien Timber injured?
The North London club has been ravaged with the a plethora of injuries this season. Jurrien Timber's absence is a big blow, but reports indicate that the Dutchman's absence is purely due to workload management reasons. Timber is unlikely to be injured, although nothing has been confirmed yet.
Arsenal will play 13 matches in the next 43 days, which further stresses the importance of rotational play for the upcoming weeks to avoid injury.





/images/ppid_a911dc6a-image-176684563357231096.webp)






