‘We are going to have to be creative’ – Saliba emerges as shock Arsenal striker option alongside Calafiori and Merino

WILLIAM SALIBA has offered to play arsenic an exigency striker to lick Arsenal’s crippling wounded crisis.

Gunners brag Mikel Arteta admitted helium felt sick to his tummy erstwhile Kai Havertz tore his hamstring connected the club’s Dubai warm-weather camp.

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William Saliba has offered to play up front[/caption]

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Arsenal person an wounded situation to woody with aft Kai Havertz picked up a hamstring issue[/caption]

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Mikel Arteta admits helium needs to beryllium ‘creative’ to find a solution to their wounded woes[/caption]

Now centre-half Saliba, who played up beforehand for archetypal nine AS Bondy successful France, is acceptable to reply immoderate SOS.

Arteta revealed: “Willy ever says ‘I’ll play arsenic striker’. Straight distant it was 1 of his reactions.

“Willy is truthful comic but it is existent helium played there. He utilized to people a lot.

“But a batch of players played determination erstwhile they were younger.

“Is that an enactment to enactment them up front? You ne'er cognize what’s going to happen. We are going to person to beryllium creative.”

Arsenal are present without a recognised acceptable striker pursuing Havertz’s injury, which requires country successful the coming days.

The German, 25, is retired for the season, on with ACL unfortunate Gabriel Jesus, portion chap forwards Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli some person hamstring problems.

Title-chasing Arsenal present person conscionable THREE acceptable elder attackers  in Leandro Trossard, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and Chelsea loanee Raheem Sterling, who are acceptable to form the Gunners’ onslaught astatine Leicester.

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Saliba, 23, has scored conscionable 7 goals successful 137 appearances for nine and state since making his Arsenal debut successful 2022.

But the Frenchman — coached by World Cup victor Kylian Mbappe’s father, Wilfried, arsenic a kid — antecedently revealed however helium “scored a batch of goals” for Bondy.

Saliba said: “I was blessed to beryllium the main striker. Most of the clip I played, I scored.”

On Havertz’s injury, Arteta said helium felt: “A large symptom successful the tummy. When you spot a subordinate successful symptom it’s a truly atrocious feeling.”

Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino oregon Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori could besides play arsenic an exigency No 9.

There are free agents available, too, similar madcap ex-Chelsea star Diego Costa, 36, erstwhile Arsenal antheral Carlos Vela, 35, and Kemar Roofe, 32, who near Rangers past year.

Arteta said: “I’ll research each imaginable concern and past marque a decision.”

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Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino person besides emerged arsenic caller No9 contenders[/caption]