Oleksandr Zinchenko was a welcome return to the Arsenal backline for their Premier League London derby fixture with Chelsea at the weekend. The summer signing has been absent from the Gunners squad since the north London derby win over Spurs last month with a calf problem.
Following his first few months in a red shirt, it seemed as though Arsenal had secured a superb deal having parted with £32 million to acquire his services from Manchester City, so there was understandable concern once his injury became more serious than expected, as well as who could match his intensity and football brain.
Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu, usually played on the right of the back four, have provided excellent cover for the Ukrainian during his near five-week absence, with the latter considered the Premier League left-back and Tierney as the man deployed in the Europa League.
