Several Arsenal stars will feature for their National Teams at the European Championships this summer, and Mikel Arteta will keep a close eye on them.
Whilst England stars Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka will play in their usual positions in midfield and on the right wing, other Arsenal players may find themselves in different areas that they are accustomed to under Arteta.
William Saliba is set to be benched by France despite his outstanding campaign, and both goalkeepers David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale will not start for Spain or England.
Some Arsenal stars will be aiming to prove a point for their country hopes or for their Arsenal futures, but four of them will have to adjust to a different position they do not usually appear in.
Oleksandr Zinchenko likely to play midfield role for Ukraine
Left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has been criticised for his defensive work in the back four for Arsenal, but he could be set for a positional change.
Zinchenko has often started in an advanced midfield role for Ukraine, and the 27-year-old looks set to continue this at the tournament.
If he can impress in a different role, it may inspire Arteta to try him in Arsenal’s midfield three, and possibly even save his future at the club as Zinchenko has been linked with an exit.
Jakub Kiwior will finally play at centre-back for Poland
Jakub Kiwior has had to fill in at left-back for most of the season, with mixed results, and he has been linked with a return to Serie A.
However, the Euros will allow Kiwior, who is already immensely popular with Poland fans after scoring a winning goal against Germany last year, to play in his natural position as a left centre-back.
Arteta will be watching closely to see what kind of performances Kiwior can deliver in a role otherwise occupied by Gabriel Magalhaes at club level.
Kieran Tierney to appear at centre-back for Scotland
Kieran Tierney spent this season on loan at Real Sociedad, and he looks set to depart Arsenal permanently this summer.
The 26-year-old is a traditional left-back, but he looks set to start at centre-back in a back three, with Liverpool’s Andy Robertson serving as a wing-back.
This is the same role Tierney played in as Arsenal won the FA Cup in 2020, but not one he has played in at club level in some time as he puts himself in the shop window.
Leandro Trossard to start on right-wing for Belgium
Leandro Trossard has just enjoyed a strong campaign in front of goal, from the left wing, as a false nine and as a midfielder.
Arteta has rarely ever used the Belgian as a right-winger to provide cover for Bukayo Saka, but he will test himself in that role for his country.
Manchester City star Jeremy Doku will start on the left for Belgium, with Romelu Lukaku as a centre-forward, meaning Trossard will start on the right, and see if he is capable of occasionally stepping in for Saka there next season.
Arsenal players and transfer targets at Euro 2024
In this week’s episode of Cannon Fire – The Arsenal Insider Podcast, Will Jones and Rahul Lakhani discuss the European Championships. With 11 Arsenal players set to feature at the tournament, the pair debated which players could be fighting for their futures, and which are destined to succeed on the international stage.