Mikel Arteta has praised Arsenal defender Cedric Soares for his recent performances, with the Basque coach hinting that the right-back could start against Wolves.
Speaking to the press via Football London, the Premier League manager revealed his joy at how the Portuguese defender has taken over the 23-year-old right-back over the past few matches, with Tomiyasu out through injury.
The Japanese defender was on the bench for Arsenal’s last game against Brentford, where Cedric followed up his impressive display against Wolves with another strong showing against the west London side.
With Tomiyasu now back to full fitness and Arsenal once again facing Wolves in what is a massive Premier League top-four clash, there is a chance the defender could return to the XI to complete the backline that has worked wonders on the Gunners this season.
Yet with Arteta lauding Cedric for his performances in recent weeks, there could be a chance that the former Southampton star remains in the starting XI this Thursday to face Wolves.
The Arsenal manager said: “It’s exactly what I want. That we have players that can play in the same role with different qualities that give us different options and you have the reassurance that they give you performances at a high level.”
Cedric starting against Wolves will be a massive gamble for Arsenal
Arsenal’s clash against Wolves could define the Gunners’ hopes for a top-four finish, and the decision to start Cedric over a fully fit Tomiyasu could be a huge gamble from Arteta given the stakes of this fixture.
Wolves are a club that are hard to break down and hardly give up leads, and should Arsenal find themselves behind, Tomiyasu would be a much stronger option to have on the pitch rather than Cedric, who is suspect when in the attacking phase.
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