At a Glance:
- Arsenal will be without Ben White for the Champions League final.
- Jurrien Timber is also unlikely to be involved.
- Mikel Arteta must find an adequate replacement at right-back, and it might not be Cristhian Mosquera.
Arsenal will be without Ben White for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain later this month, and Mikel Arteta is subsequently facing a selection headache at right-back ahead of this European showdown.
The Gunners secured their spot in this showpiece event by beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate over two legs. Bukayo Saka’s goal in the second match at the Emirates was enough to see Arteta’s side into the final, and they’ll now play a PSG side revered across the continent for their attacking flair.
The North London outfit will be viewed as slight underdogs heading to Hungary, although their imperious defensive structure could see them through against a more chaotic Luis Enrique team. That said, Arteta has a major defensive issue down the right-hand side, and he desperately needs to find a solution before the game at the Puskas Arena.
Cristhian Mosquera is the obvious solution to Arsenal’s right-back woes
White limped off after just 28 minutes against West Ham on Sunday. The England defender was visibly in pain, and it’s now been confirmed that he’s suffered a suspected MCL injury, which will keep him out for the rest of the season, and possibly the World Cup too.
An update from HandofArsenal on Monday evening suggested that Jurrien Timber could still feature again this term. However, the Gunners won’t be eager to rush the Dutchman back, and even if he does play in some capacity before the PSG game, it would be a brave decision from Arteta to throw him back into action in an encounter of this magnitude.
Arsenal General Update
— HandofArsenal (@HandofArsenal) May 11, 2026
🚨 David Raya has a 1 year OPTIONAL extension on his current contract which has 2 years left. All parties are very relaxed about his long term future as a payrise was agreed last summer as reported by @SamiMokbel_BBC .
Contender for POTY? Serious shout…
Thus, Arsenal have a serious problem at right-back. Cristhian Mosquera, who arrived in N5 primarily to deputise William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes at centre-back, has filled in on this side on a number of occasions of late.
The Spaniard is the obvious choice to start against PSG, and possibly the right one. His imposing frame and excellent defensive instincts mean he should be able to hold his own against the French giants.
However, if Arteta is feeling adventerous, he should explore another alternative who could provide more value in this final.
Piero Hincapie should be considered as a right-back option for the Champions League final
Mosquera is just 21 and hasn’t experienced many high-leverage matches throughout his career to date. Thus, there is an inherent element of risk in deploying him in an unnatural position for a Champions League final.
When you factor in who he’ll be pitted against on this side, it becomes even riskier. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will start for PSG on the left wing, and the Georgian is arguably the most electric player in this position on the planet at the moment.
Boasting incredible pace, technical quality and the ability to shoot accurately by cutting in on his right foot, Arsenal need a specialist defender who can deal with Kvaratskhelia isolated in wide areas. Mosquera probably isn’t the right man for this job.
Piero Hincapie could be, however. The Ecuadorian is arguably Arsenal’s best full-back in one-on-one situations, barring Timber. He certainly has the ability to contain Kvaratskhelia, and thus, he may be the Gunners’ best bet.
Warrior ✊
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 26, 2026
The best of Hincapie against Newcastle United 🎥 pic.twitter.com/mrj3ibIo4G
In fact, his left-footedness could actually suit him defensively. The PSG winger will look to cut inside and take shots, and Hincapie may be able to prevent this by stopping the former Napoli man on his stronger foot.
Arteta has routinely used right-footed full-backs on the left, in Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu. These deployments have often been made to negate a specific winger’s threat.
He should arguably do the same here, but flip the dynamics. We don’t often see full-backs playing on their weak side, but if there was ever a time to do it, this could be it.
