Arbeloa likely to fill left back role

Alvaro Arbeloa is likely to fill in the left back  role on Sunday with Arthur Masuaka out injured for at least six weeks and Aaron Cresswell not due to return until mid October at the very earliest.

The 33 year old veteran right back is said to be very comfortable on the left side and has frequently played in that position in emergencies for his former teams. The former Liverpool defender showed his versatility on Wednesday when he switched to left back late in the game after Masuaku was forced to leave the pitch through injury.

With Arbeloa almost certain to fill the left back role, the right back position becomes the next big question. Sam Byram would be the obvious choice although his lack of Premier League experience has been displayed in some of the early league games. Everyone will be hoping that Slaven Bilic doesn’t use this latest injury setback to return to his failed experiment of Michail Antonio at right back. Antonio is the Premier League’s joint top scorer with five goals and Bilic would likely face heavy criticism from the fans if he tries to move him back to a defensive position.