Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn believes Kieran Tierney's recent injury record could hamper his chances of being made captain at the Emirates.
The ex- Celtic left-back has been a hit for Mikel Arteta's side in the English Premier League and has worn the armband on a few occasions this season.
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang was the Gunners captain at the start of the campaign, but had it stripped by the club for disciplinary issues before moving to Barcelona in January.
Tierney - who hasn't played since March - has had a spell leading the side out, as have Martin Odegaard and Alexander Lacazette.
Winterburn believes the north London club needs to work out what role they want their captain to have before the decide their best option in the long term.
He expects Arteta to look at Tierney's lack of consistent game-time as a reason to overlook him for the captaincy.
"Arsenal need to work out what role they want their captain to play," the 58-year-old told Paddy Power.
"When I played, I never worried about who was captain at Arsenal because on a matchday, we had enough captains out on the pitch to sort things out ourselves. We had a lot of big characters, so I never worried about the issue of captaincy.
"Maybe it’s a bigger issue for this group of players. Do they want a captain who is vocal or someone who can lead by example?
"If they want someone who’s a bit more vocal, you might go for one of the centre-halves or Kieran Tierney.
"But unfortunately for Tierney, he’s had a lot of injury problems since coming to Arsenal.
"He’s the type of character who would make a fantastic captain but if you’re playing fewer games, that becomes an issue.
"I don’t know what influence Martin Odegaard has in the dressing room, but he’s been handed the armband so it’s a possibility he gets it full time next year."
Tierney could be a key figure if he wins his fitness race for Scotland throughout June as Steve Clarke's men prepare for a huge World Cup play-off semi final against Ukraine as well as a Nations League triple header.
