In the early stages of Mikel Arteta's tenure at Arsenal it appeared that Calum Chambers could establish himself as a key part of the Spaniard's plans. 

Just before Arteta was appointed, Chambers had been playing regularly in his preferred position of centre-back and had produced some impressive performances.

Then disaster struck, with Chambers suffering a cruciate ligament rupture against Chelsea which kept him out of action for almost a year.

Competition for places in defence

Chambers is now fit again, having successfully overcome the hurdles of featuring for the Under-23s and in the Europa League, but he has found it very difficult to get back into the match day squad, let alone the team.

Arsenal have a plethora of central-defensive options at their disposal, and Chambers, at present at least, appears to be well down the pecking order.

The 25-year-old possesses qualities that could prove to be hugely useful for Arteta. He is comfortable in possession, something which Arteta requires from his players, has impressive leadership skills and is strong in the air.

Chambers may not have developed into the player that Arsenal thought they were getting when they signed him from Southampton in 2014.

At that stage Chambers was seen as a major prospect for the future and also broke into the England squad, but he has struggled to hit those heady heights in the ensuing period.

Versatile and homegrown 

He is still, however, a player who has much to offer. Chambers' versatility is a useful asset - he has much experience of playing at right-back, while he has also featured in midfield.

His homegrown status too is something that is worth considering, especially at a time when Arsenal have been lacking players in that department. 

Chambers may not be a player who will command a regular place in the side, but he can be a useful member of the squad and Arteta should look to incorporate him back into his plans if possible.

With Arsenal having so many centre-backs on their books somebody will have to make way eventually and there is a chance that Chambers could be the unfortunate individual.

His aforementioned qualities, though, mean that Chambers is a player who is worth keeping around, even if it is just as part of the squad.