"There’s a lot more he needs to learn" - Nigel Winterburn claims 22-year-old Arsenal player doesn't fully understand his role

Former Arsenal left-back Nigel Winterburn believes Nuno Tavares doesn't really understand the role of a fullback. He stated that the Portuguese has a lot to learn and needs to do so quickly.

Tavares has had a rough time of late at the north London club. In his last two starts against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, he was subbed off in the 35th and 45th minutes respectively.

With first-choice left-back Kieran Tierney out for the season, many expected Tavares to step up in the role. However, after his display in the 3-0 loss to Palace, he was replaced by left-footed midfielder Granit Xhaka for their next match.

Speaking about the Portuguese, Winterburn told Mirror Football:

"I just don't think he fully understands the complete role of a fullback and I think there's a lot more he needs to learn defensively in terms of the situations he puts himself in."

He added:

"He needs to learn that side of the game very quickly and get back to the form going forward that he showed earlier in the season. The problem is when you've had a couple of games like the ones he's had, then your confidence just drops so quickly. You can also lose the trust of the supporters, so it makes it difficult to come back when that happens."

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Arsenal's injury issues a major headache for Mikel Arteta

After letting six players go in the January transfer window without signing any replacements, squad depth was always going to be a problem for Arsenal. The effects of that have started showing in the last couple of weeks.

Right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu picked up multiple calf injuries in January and has been out since then. Tierney picked up a knee injury in the recent international break and will be out for the rest of the season. The Gunners also lost Thomas Partey to a muscular injury in their match against Palace for at least a few weeks.

This has seen a direct effect on their results. While Tavares was poor against Crystal Palace, Xhaka's poor positioning cost them in their 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Arsenal now travel to Southampton on Saturday in hopes of bouncing back from two defeats. However, Arteta will still have a major headache in trying to select his starting XI.

They are currently fifth in the Premier League table, three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur but with a game in hand. Anything less than a win against Southampton will further complicate Arsenal's inability to make top four this season.