Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been experimenting with Francois Coquelin as a makeshift centre-back.

With Arsenal fearing that Per Mertesacker could miss up to five months with a knee injury and Gabriel having been left in the UK to recover from a bout of tonsillitis Wenger has been left with only Calum Chambers and Rob Holding as recognised centre-backs for pre-season fixtures with the MLS All Stars and Chivas, says the London Evening Standard.

That has forced Wenger to turn to Coquelin, who has played as a defensive midfielder since establishing himself in the squad at the start of 2015.

Coquelin's deployment as a centre-back is likely to be just one of several short-term options Wenger considers, with full-backs Mathieu Debuchy and Nacho Monreal among those who could be asked to fill in having done so in the past.