Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been handed a defensive conundrum ahead of this weekend's Premier League opener against Crystal Palace. The Gunner's impressive 3-0 dismissal of English champions Manchester City in last Sunday's Community Shield final was undermined by injury to Laurent Koscielny, leaving Wenger with a shortage of options at centre-back. Koscielny is expected to miss the clash with Palace with an achilles problem meaning Per Mertesacker is the only remaining senior centre-half for Wenger to select from. Koscielny's injury came on the same day club captain Thomas Vermaelen joined Barcelona for £15 million and combined, these issues could put the Gunners bang in the market for a new centre-back before the transfer window slams shut in under three weeks. As it stands, only rookie new signing Calum Chambers forms a credible option to partner Mertesacker at the heart of the defence and Wenger may opt to examine the market for someone with more seniority to the 19-year-old former Southampton defender as he looks to ease his mini-crisis at Emirates Stadium. With the new season set to start in four days' time and with only a few more weeks left to run of this summer's transfer window, we take a look at 10 Dream Replacements For Thomas Vermaelen to solve Wenger's woes at the back. Click 'next' to get started.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
