Why Jakub Kiwior is undroppable for Arsenal's Bernabeu mission to stop Kylian Mbappe | OneFootball

Once error-prone, Polish centre-back has stepped up in absence of Gabriel alongside William Saliba

When Jakub Kiwior made his way to the dressing room after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid last week, one of the first people to congratulate him on a fine performance was the man he had replaced.

Injury may have ruled Gabriel out for the rest of the season but that would not stop the Brazilian celebrating with his team-mates.

Even on crutches, he came down to the dressing room and Kiwior was one of those he sought out.

The pair enjoy a good relationship and, after Arsenal beat Manchester United in December, Gabriel was at the side of the pitch to share a huge hug with Kiwior after he stepped up in his absence.

Kiwior impressed as Arsenal kept Real Madrid quiet in their 3-0 win at Emirates Stadium last week

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“I have to be ready for everything,” said Kiwior. “Of course, Gabi can usually play this game but he’s injured, and I have to be ready for everything.

“I didn’t wait for this moment, but I hope he can comeback very quickly, and we can train together, fighting for the one position.”

Kiwior has described Real Madrid win as one of the biggest games of his career and he is set to go through it all over again on Wednesday, with his family travelling to the Bernabeu to see him in action after missing the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final.

The second leg promises to be a different test, though, with Real Madrid expected to come out all guns blazing.

Talk of a comeback began almost immediately after the first leg and it has not stopped, even after Carlo Ancelotti side scrapped past Alaves 1-0 on Sunday in a game that Kylian Mbappe was sent off in.

Mbappe got little joy against Arsenal in the first leg, excluding one chance in the first half, and much of that was down to William Saliba.

The centre-back kept his France team-mate and, although Mbappe likes to peel out to the left flank, he may opt to drift right on Wednesday so he can come up against Kiwior more.

Kiwior could be targeted by Madrid and in particular Mbappe, who he had already played against twice before last week for Poland.

Kiwior and Saliba have formed a solid centre-back partnership

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“I don’t know if it helped though to be honest, because you don’t know what he’s going to do on the pitch, because he has such a quick reaction and he’s very fast,” Kiwior told Arsenal’s match-day programme at the weekend. “It’s difficult playing against him, you have to try to be ready for everything.”

Kiwior did well in the first leg, overcoming a shaky start to help Arsenal keep a clean sheet.

The 25-year-old has had to wait patiently for chances this season, but he has seized this opportunity now in the absence of Gabriel.

Even with Ben White’s fitness issues, Kiwior deserves to start at the Bernabeu on Wednesday and he is relishing the chance to play there.

“I think this is an amazing stadium,” he said. “I’ve never been there, and of course for me this is a very good experience to play in this game. I think it’s one of the biggest stadiums, so I’m waiting for this game.”

Kiwior heads to the Spanish capital looking to keep up an impressive run of undefeated starts for Arsenal. Indeed, the Gunners have not lost on his last 19 starts.

The Pole has also performed well with Saliba and, in the nine matches they have started together at centre-back, Arsenal have never lost and keep five clean sheets on that run.

Their styles work well together and the presence of Kiwior seems to free Saliba up on the ball. In his last three starts with Kiwior, Saliba has carried the ball 825 yards. In his last three starts with Gabriel, Saliba carried the ball 560 yards.

“We feel, I think together, a very good bond with us,” said Kiwior. “We spoke a lot, so we have a very good combination and communication on the pitch.”

The difficulty for Kiwior is that unless Gabriel gets injured then his chances of a run of starts at centre-back are slim. It is why clubs from Italy are tracking him ahead of the summer in case Arsenal decide to cash in.

Kiwior has filled in at left-back for Arsenal, but he believes his best position is in the heart of defence and another club could offer regular starts there.

Arsenal are seemingly braced for the prospect of that and they have scouted left-sided central defenders over the past 18 months, in particular Ajax’s Jorrel Hato.

But until the summer, Kiwior will be an Arsenal player and he should, finally, enjoy a run of starts in the position he wants to play.