Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could spring a surprise change for Sunday’s north London derby clash away to Tottenham Hotspur, one BBC host has claimed.
Arteta’s midfield is down to the bare bones heading into this weekend’s fixture, with Martin Odegaard ruled out after picking up an injury on international duty with Norway.
The Norway team doctor did issue a positive update for the Gunners faithful, claiming the midfielder hadn’t fractured his ankle, but he did predict a lengthy stint on the sidelines for the Arsenal skipper.
Odegaard joins fellow first-choice star Declan Rice (suspension) and summer signing Mikel Merino (injured) as Arsenal midfielders who won’t be in action at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Arteta left scratching his head in need of a solution.
A double pivot of Thomas Partey and Jorginho has been mooted, but with a combined age of 63 between the duo, there have been separate calls for fresher legs to be given a chance at the weekend.
According to Mark Chapman, host of the BBC’s Planet Premier League Podcast, that could arrive in the form of teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri.
Discussing a rumour he’d heard, Chapman said: “At the other end of the scale as we move onto the north London derby, there are rumours going around at the moment, and these may be quashed by the time the game comes around.
“They have some issues in midfield Arsenal, Declan Rice is suspended, Martin Odegaard picked up an injury during the week, their signing in the summer, Merino is already injured. So there are these rumours that they may start a 17-year-old, Ethan Nwaneri.”
If given a chance from the off, it would represent Nwaneri’s first-ever Premier League start, having only made a handful of appearances off the bench.
But, after excelling as a creative option from midfield in Arsenal’s youth set-up, he could prove the perfect tonic for Arteta’s selection problems.
Nwaneri might not be alone in making his first start for Arsenal, with talk Raheem Sterling could be parachuted straight into the starting XI as well.
