Arsenal boss Unai Emery insists Lucas Torreira is more than capable of playing as an advanced midfielder in Mesut Ozil’s absence.
Ozil has made just two appearances in all competitions this term and has failed to make the substitutes bench for Arsenal’s last five matches despite being the club’s top earner on wages of £350,000-a-week.
With Ozil seemingly exiled, Emery has experimented with a number of combinations in midfield and Torreira has been used further up the pitch, most recently against Vitoria on Thursday evening.
Though Torreira was brought to the Emirates as a defensive midfielder, Emery claims the Uruguayan ‘has confidence’ playing as Arsenal’s No.10.
‘He is playing. I think he is very important for us. We are sharing and changing some matches with the midfielders like [Matteo] Guendouzi,’ Emery said ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
‘I am very happy with him and we need him. Then we use different structures in different matches and he has confidence. I was speaking with him about his best position to help us in our shape.
‘It depends on the shape. Last season his best position was playing as a deep midfield two alongside [Granit] Xhaka or Matteo.
‘This year we are playing also sometimes with just one and he can achieve with his quality to get to the box and get closer to score. He is very intelligent about getting space around the box and taking chances.
‘Then also, when we prepare the team to do high pressing, for us he is very important because he is very intelligent tactically, but he can play in the two positions. [Either as] one of the two midfielders [or] he can play higher for the pressing and to get into the box.
‘Sometimes we also use him as a one-man in midfield doing the covering for the two other players ahead.’
Emery has heavily criticised following Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Sheffield United last weekend, but Hector Bellerin has defended his manager and insists the entire squad ‘trusts’ the Spaniard.
‘I think this team has evolved a lot since the beginning of last season,’ Bellerin said.
‘When the board sign a manager like Unai, they know it’s all going to be part of a process. ‘He has his ideas and he’s done so well at Sevilla and Valencia and Paris – so everyone trusts in the manager.
‘Sometimes things don’t go your way but then it’s about turning it around. ‘I think if you take out from last season those three games which we lost – it would have been a very positive season and turned out another way.
‘It is part of a process and I think we are improving as players and the manager is getting to know us every single day and for us it is to just to keep going forward with the head up.’
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