Arsene Wenger will assess whether Calum Chambers is ready to play in a defensive midfield role before deciding if he will buy a replacement for Francis Coquelin in the January transfer window.

Standard Sport understands the Gunners have tried Chambers in that position during several training sessions this week as they plan for life without Coquelin, who has been sidelined for at least three months with knee ligament damage.

Coquelin is Arsenal’s only defensive midfield specialist and there continue to be doubts about the alternatives available to Wenger. Mikel Arteta will miss Sunday’s trip to Norwich with a calf problem, while Mathieu Flamini’s form has been mixed this season.

Wenger has repeatedly stated he believes Chambers’s long-term future could be as a defensive midfielder, despite predominantly playing at right-back or centre-back during his senior career at Arsenal and Southampton.

Chambers played the final eight minutes in front of Arsenal’s back four in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb and although it was only a brief cameo, the move was designed as a further test of his ability there.

Arsenal vs Dinamo Zagreb player ratings 12 show all Arsenal vs Dinamo Zagreb player ratings 1/12 Petr Cech: 6 Cech could thank his defence for a quiet night as, though Dinamo looked to get forward on the counter, they rarely managed to craft a shot to test the Arsenal keeper. Made one fantastic save at 3-0 to prevent a Mathieu Flamini own-goal, diving down low to save his team-mates blushes. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 2/12 Hector Bellerin: 6 By his own exceptional standards this was an unimpressive display from the Spanish full-back, who gave the ball away as much in the opening minutes as he has in most games this season. He bombed forward as ever but the penetrating crosses weren’t quite there. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 3/12 Per Mertesacker: 7 Mertesacker was a reassuring presence throughout for Arsenal, barking instructions at his colleagues and ensuring he controlled play from deep. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 4/12 Laurent Koscielny: 6 Had the freedom to step forward in possession, but did not always use that effectively. Koscielny gave the ball away far too often as he looked to push Arsenal forward, but was back to his reliable best in defence as Dinamo looked to get behind Monreal. 5/12 Nacho Monreal: 7 One of the busiest players on the field, as the dangerous Junior Fernandes looked to find space in behind the Arsenal backline. That Monreal dealt with him impressively whilst still bombing forward to create chances spoke of a very pleasing display from the left-back. Paul Gilham/Getty Images 6/12 Mathieu Flamini: 5 For much of the game Flamini’s brand of kamikaze defensive play was not required as the forwards did what was needed to secure a win. But in the early stages he too often looked a liability, chasing every single ball rather than maintaining his discipline. Against tougher opponents he would have been found wanting. Julian Finney/Getty Images 7/12 Santi Cazorla: 7 Did much of his best work for Arsenal on the edge of his own area, finding Ozil and Sanchez in space whenever the opposition committed too many men forward. After a series of indifferent displays either side of the international break tonight saw Cazorla makes strides towards rediscovering his best form. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 8/12 Joel Campbell: 8 One of the few not to shrink under the pressure of the opening 20 minutes, as Campbell brought plenty of flicks and tricks to find a way past a deep-sitting Dinamo, providing a fantastic assist for Sanchez to make it 3-0. With Aaron Ramsey on the bench he needed to make a good impression – and he did. He may just have played himself into contention for the do or die match against his former side. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 9/12 Mesut Ozil: 8 Ozil was at the heart of almost every single thing good about Arsenal tonight, as he has been the case throughout so much of this competition. Got in goalscoring positions and always looked likely to convert – but also showed a rarely-seen ability to craft those chances for himself. Shaun Botterill/Getty Images 10/12 Alexis Sanchez: 8 Prior to the opening goal this was not Sanchez at his best, with the forward seeming curiously hesitant in front of goal. But when he got going his display was truly exquisite, particularly the cross from which Ozil headed in the opener. Two goals capped an excellent display. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 11/12 Olivier Giroud: 5 The French forward struggled to find a place in the game as Dinamo dealt smartly with his physical presence. He won plenty of headers but was marked tightly when it mattered and was forced to drop ever deeper in an attempt to influence the game. Clive Mason/Getty Images 12/12 Aaron Ramsey: 6 Wenger will be delighted to have seen the midfielder full of drive and energy after six weeks out, though the game was long since over by the time of his introduction. 1/12 Petr Cech: 6 Cech could thank his defence for a quiet night as, though Dinamo looked to get forward on the counter, they rarely managed to craft a shot to test the Arsenal keeper. Made one fantastic save at 3-0 to prevent a Mathieu Flamini own-goal, diving down low to save his team-mates blushes. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 2/12 Hector Bellerin: 6 By his own exceptional standards this was an unimpressive display from the Spanish full-back, who gave the ball away as much in the opening minutes as he has in most games this season. He bombed forward as ever but the penetrating crosses weren’t quite there. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 3/12 Per Mertesacker: 7 Mertesacker was a reassuring presence throughout for Arsenal, barking instructions at his colleagues and ensuring he controlled play from deep. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 4/12 Laurent Koscielny: 6 Had the freedom to step forward in possession, but did not always use that effectively. Koscielny gave the ball away far too often as he looked to push Arsenal forward, but was back to his reliable best in defence as Dinamo looked to get behind Monreal. 5/12 Nacho Monreal: 7 One of the busiest players on the field, as the dangerous Junior Fernandes looked to find space in behind the Arsenal backline. That Monreal dealt with him impressively whilst still bombing forward to create chances spoke of a very pleasing display from the left-back. Paul Gilham/Getty Images 6/12 Mathieu Flamini: 5 For much of the game Flamini’s brand of kamikaze defensive play was not required as the forwards did what was needed to secure a win. But in the early stages he too often looked a liability, chasing every single ball rather than maintaining his discipline. Against tougher opponents he would have been found wanting. Julian Finney/Getty Images 7/12 Santi Cazorla: 7 Did much of his best work for Arsenal on the edge of his own area, finding Ozil and Sanchez in space whenever the opposition committed too many men forward. After a series of indifferent displays either side of the international break tonight saw Cazorla makes strides towards rediscovering his best form. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 8/12 Joel Campbell: 8 One of the few not to shrink under the pressure of the opening 20 minutes, as Campbell brought plenty of flicks and tricks to find a way past a deep-sitting Dinamo, providing a fantastic assist for Sanchez to make it 3-0. With Aaron Ramsey on the bench he needed to make a good impression – and he did. He may just have played himself into contention for the do or die match against his former side. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 9/12 Mesut Ozil: 8 Ozil was at the heart of almost every single thing good about Arsenal tonight, as he has been the case throughout so much of this competition. Got in goalscoring positions and always looked likely to convert – but also showed a rarely-seen ability to craft those chances for himself. Shaun Botterill/Getty Images 10/12 Alexis Sanchez: 8 Prior to the opening goal this was not Sanchez at his best, with the forward seeming curiously hesitant in front of goal. But when he got going his display was truly exquisite, particularly the cross from which Ozil headed in the opener. Two goals capped an excellent display. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 11/12 Olivier Giroud: 5 The French forward struggled to find a place in the game as Dinamo dealt smartly with his physical presence. He won plenty of headers but was marked tightly when it mattered and was forced to drop ever deeper in an attempt to influence the game. Clive Mason/Getty Images 12/12 Aaron Ramsey: 6 Wenger will be delighted to have seen the midfielder full of drive and energy after six weeks out, though the game was long since over by the time of his introduction.

Wenger is never keen to do business in January — and some fans would argue too reluctant all year round — but his backroom staff have been instructed to collate a list of possible targets. Bayer Leverkusen’s Lars Bender, Grzegorz Krychowiak of Sevilla and Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho are all regularly scouted by the club but they could also consider Lucas Biglia at Lazio and Nice duo Vincent Koziello and Nampalys Mendy.

Wenger believes his team responded well to their 2-1 defeat at West Brom last weekend by beating Zagreb in midweek and hopes they are primed to get back to winning ways in the League at Carrow Road.

“For us, it was a bad result,” he said. “But on the day everything went against us, they had one shot on target and scored two goals [the winner was an own goal by Arteta]. That will not always happen.

“On top of that we missed a penalty, so we had a nightmare. It was an unlucky day, that can happen in a season, but after it is how you respond to that and we did that well on Tuesday.

“It’s what I said the other day — in our League it’s not who you play, it’s how you play and we have to focus on that.”

