Ramsey to continue in unfavoured wide role

Aaron Ramsey has been told by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger he will continue to be used in his unfavoured position on the right wing.

Wales international midfielder Ramsey recently voiced his frustration at not playing in his preferred central role to his coach and was expected to be given the chance to line-up in the position against Norwich City on Sunday following injuries to Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta.

However, Wenger believes the 24-year-old and Santi Cazorla are too attack-minded to play alongside one another in a central position.

“I use Ramsey on the right. That’s where I will certainly continue to use him, unless the game demands to attack,” the French boss said.

“He is more an offensive player. He is not a tactical, defensive player. I will use him sometimes there [centrally], when the game demands.

“I used him on the right because he gives us a balance because we have Ozil, who is an offensive player, we have Sanchez, we have Giroud or Walcott and Cazorla, so we need to balance a bit defensively.”

The news will be a blow to Ramsey, whose most prolific campaign came in 2013-14 when he scored 16 times from a central midfield position.

Wenger revealed he tried utilising Ramsey in a deeper role during pre-season, but found no benefit.

“If you take that [attacking mindset] out of him, and you say, ‘Look, you have to sit now. Sit there and wait,’ you kill his strengths. He can do it, but he can do it with Coquelin. And Cazorla can do it with Coquelin. But Cazorla and Ramsey is a bit too adventurous.

“You also know in my mind I have seen that the turn of our results last season was when I went for a bit of stability and put Coquelin in there. Now I am a bit cautious on that front and I do not want to unbalance the team.”