Mikel Arteta has been urged not to pick Ezri Konsa for Arsenal's match against Aston Villa tonight, with club legend David O'Leary advising against handing the summer signing an immediate debut against his former club.
The Gunners are looking to build on last Friday's opening night win against Coventry City, where they secured a routine 3-0 victory. The defensive unit received a boost last week when Konsa's arrival from Aston Villa was confirmed, with the England international likely to compete with Cristhian Mosquera for a first-team place in the absence of William Saliba.
Saliba injury opens door for new signing
A back injury that flared up at the World Cup is likely to rule the Frenchman out of action for several months, with the Gunners opting to give the 25-year-old a complete break rather than surgery. Mosquera deputised ably for Saliba against the Sky Blues and has impressed overall since joining from Valencia in a £17million deal a year ago.
Konsa is eligible to make his debut against his old club this evening, but O'Leary, Arsenal's record appearance maker, believes Arteta would be best served by keeping an unchanged defensive line-up.
'I am a fan,' O'Leary told talkSPORT when asked if he rated Konsa. 'I think he was on their list for quite a while and it's another great signing to add to a great squad.'
O'Leary backs unchanged defence
'Do I see him starting tonight? I don't think so the defence, the way it has been playing I don't see Mikel changing that. Does he want to put him in? Yes he could probably handle playing against his old club but Mikel won't want to put that pressure on him. I'd be very surprised if he starts.'
'Never (have I seen a strong squad of defenders). Last year in a similar position you looked at the squad and thought if you're ever going to win the league it seemed to be the best squad. They've gone and added quality on top of quality again. The players brought in and the they're the team to be.'
Arteta, meanwhile, is hopeful Konsa will not receive a hostile reception from his former fans after opting to join the Villa exodus. Konsa spent seven seasons at Villa and played an integral role in the club landing the Europa League and finishing in the top four.
Arteta confident in Konsa's mentality
The 28-year-old, among a plethora of players who have left Villa in the summer, could be targeted by the home supporters. However, when asked if Konsa should receive a warm welcome from the Villa fans, Arteta replied: 'I hope so. I'm sure that Ezri will think the same way for what he's done for the club. But, obviously, this is not down to us.'
'And the way I've seen Ezri since day one, knowing his personality really well, and through people that have worked with him, I have no concern about him playing there. He has trained really well, and he will be available for selection.'
