Hector Bellerin Ready for Arsenal Start Against Borussia Dortmund Says Arsene Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is ready to give Hector Bellerin his full debut against Borrussia Dortmund as the club's defensive crisis worsens ahead of their Champions League opener.

Neither Mathieu Debuchy or Nacho Monreal have travelled to Germany, while Calum Chambers is a doubt as he recovers from tonsillitis.

The potential absentees leaves Arsenal with just three recognised senior defenders, meaning Bellerin - who has previously played just 26 minutes in the first team in a League Cup tie at West Bromwich Albion 12 months ago - is expected to be deployed at full back.

Keiron Gibbs is expected to make his first appearance since picking up a hamstring injury in the opening day win over Crystal Palace, but should Chambers fail to recover in time, Arsenal are ready to blood an all-but untried youngster against the 2012 Champions League runners-up.

"I don't feel we are stretched," said Wenger. "The Debuchy [ankle] injury put us in a position where we do not want more and hopefully we have good news after the scan that he can be back soon.

"We have Chambers who can play in different positions, Monreal who can play centre-back, and Hector Bellerin, who I think now is ready to play."

"He's a boy with personality who isn't fazed by the pressure," Wenger added on Bellerin, who joined the club from Barcelona in 2011.

"That's a very important quality when you're a young boy playing at a big club. His transition game is fantastic. He's very quick and his final ball is good as well.

"He lacks a bit of experience as a defender, but he's very dangerous going forward."

Should Wenger decide against starting with the inexperienced Bellerin he could employ Mathieu Flamini at full-back, a role which the Frenchman occupied during the club's run to the Champions League final in 2006, albeit on the left side.

Arsenal will be able to call on German World Cup winning trio Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil, and Lukas Podolski from the start for the visit to Dortmund in their first return to their homeland since success in Brazil.

"It is always a pressure when you come back to your country," Wenger said. "The attention is bigger.

"Our German internationals played in the World Cup final in Rio on 13 July and they came back to training with us on 11 August. It was important for me that they would recover. They have been training for one month and they haven't reached 100% physically. But they're close."