Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is set to start in central midfield for Arsenal against Chelsea on Saturday after Aaron Ramsey was ruled out with a calf injury.
The 23-year-old is predominantly a winger but he has repeatedly stated a preference for playing in the middle and manager Arsene Wenger has long since suggested that is where his future could lie.
Oxlade-Chamberlain operated in a central role in last Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round win at Southampton and again as a substitute for Ramsey in Tuesday night’s defeat to Watford.
Ramsey limped off after just 19 minutes and Arsenal fear he could be sidelined for at least a fortnight.
The Gunners have few other midfield options with Mohamed Elneny away at the Africa Cup of Nations, Granit Xhaka suspended, Santi Cazorla injured and Jack Wilshere on loan at Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, the club have dismissed one report this morning suggesting Wenger gave his players today and yesterday off after the Watford defeat.
The training schedule was set at the start of the week and not altered in response to the result.
Aaron Ramsey heaped praise on Alexis Sanchez after the Chilean scored Arsenal’s dramatic late winner from the penalty spot for the Gunners against Burnley on Sunday afternoon.
Arsenal went ahead Shkodran Mustafi’s header from a corner shortly after half-time, but Andre Gray netted an equaliser for the visitors deep into stoppage time from the penalty spot after Francis Coquelin conceded the spot-kick.
However, it was Sanchez who had the final say, when he stepped up to duly convert his penalty with cheeky chip down the middle after Laurent Koscielny was fouled in the box, despite the defender appearing to be offside in the build-up.
Ramsey was full of praise for Sanchez after he scored his 15th Premier League goal of the season for the Gunners, and the midfielder is hoping to see more goals from the attacker in the coming weeks and months.
Speaking to Arsenal’s website after the game, Ramsey said of Sanchez’s penalty:
“That just sums up the quality and the confidence that he has to do that in the last minute.
“Hopefully he can keep scoring now until the end of the season.”
Aaron Ramsey has suggested that his side got what they deserved following a late 2-1 victory over Burnley in the Premier League.
Following an opener from defender Shkodran Mustafi, Burnley thought they had earned a point when Andre Gray notched a late penalty, only for the Gunners to snatch a memorable win as Alexis Sanchez finished off a penalty of his own eight minutes into additional time.
"It was a lot of minutes added on but we dug in. It's not easy when you go down to 10 men. We kept fighting and we got what I thought we deserved in the end," Ramsey told Sky Sports News.
"We're confident in the way we play. We know that we can create goals, even with 10 men."
Arsenal return to action when they face Southampton in the FA Cup next weekend.
