Arsene Wenger manager Arsene Wenger has said defender Laurent Koscielny shrugged off a back problem to play at Leicester City on Saturday.
Koscielny returned to the starting lineup after being rested for the season-opening loss to Liverpool and played a crucial part in keeping a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw.
The France international was a late returner after the European Championship, but Wenger was forced to rush him back into action after Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista were injured in preseason.
And while some pundits criticised both Koscielny and Wenger after he sat out the 4-3 defeat to Liverpool, the Arsenal boss said it was only a last-minute decision to play the centre-back at Leicester.
"I saw that we were a bit too young [in defence] and I have no real solution at central defence at the moment. In fairness he had a big back problem [Friday] when he came out of the training," Wenger told Arsenal's official website. "We came with 19 players and [on Saturday] morning we decided that he could play and I think it saved us this point."
Koscielny, playing alongside 20-year-old new signing Rob Holding, made several crucial interventions and tackles in the game to help neutralise the threat posed by Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.
"We look a different team straight away and he gave us stability against a team that attacks very well," he said. "I think he was very important."
Arsenal are still hoping to bring in another experienced centre-back in the transfer window and have been in drawn-out talks with Valencia over Germany international Shkodran Mustafi.
However, Wenger bristled over the continued questions about the club's lack of spending after the Leicester game and praised the performance of Holding - who was brought in from Bolton for £2 million.
""For me he had an outstanding performance. He's 20 years old, he's English and it's a great reason to be happy. As long as players don't cost a huge amount of money, people don't give them any qualities," Wenger said. "We have to be stronger than that and just acknowledge how good he is."