Arsenal could line up with fresh faces for the EFL Cup clash with Bolton Wanderers, with Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly set for full debuts.
Mikel Arteta could field a much-changed lineup from the excruciating trip to the Etihad on Sunday, as many of the fringe stars will get minutes into their legs against Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday night. The dust has barely settled from that tough away trip to Manchester City, which did see a few Arsenal players go down with knocks and cramps.
During his pre-match press conference, when Arteta was asked about whether his team has recovered, he said, “Yes, fully recovered. It’s like a normal game. It was obviously a very emotional game at the end, but they all are in different ways to the game we played on Sunday. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Ahead of the game there are a few reports of some issues, with Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber going down with knocks, unable to complete the game. Ben White did complete the entire second half, but Arteta had revealed in the post-match conference that he did not even want to play the defender at the Etihad.
Meanwhile, the game could see Raheem Sterling get his full debut for Arsenal. On the attacker, Arteta said, “Very good. He has had a few minutes already, and tomorrow he has another opportunity. He is ready; he is really hungry to add more minutes and impact the team in the way that he can, and hopefully, tomorrow, we can see that.”
The Bolton Wanderers clash could also bring the opportunity to hand full debuts to exciting academy stars Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Depending on the fitness of others, three more academy stars in Ayden Heaven, Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand and Josh Nichols could also be handed full debuts.
On Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, Arteta said, “I’m very proud of them. They are dealing with a situation that probably they didn’t expect. They have had the chance to play in two of the most historic and difficult grounds in the Premier League and they both responded really well.”
“Those two are really pushy, really demanding! They want everything! They want more and more information. They love it, you can tell them, they are so passionate about everything. They see the opportunity and want to grab it with both hands. They are great to work with.”
On the team selection, there’s another exciting prospect likely to make his debut, with 16-year-old Jack Porter finding himself in an opportunistic position. With David Raya likely to sit out this clash with a knock, summer-singing Tommy Setford is unavailable, while Neto is cup-tied. Hence, Porter could start between the sticks.
Should Ben White and Timber recover from their issues, one of them could start the game, or else Nichols could find himself on the teamsheet. Similarly, if Arteta feels the need to rest William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, he could start Heaven in one of the central defensive positions. At the same time, Jakub Kiwior is nailed on for his first start of the campaign. Lewis-Skelly is likely to start at left-back in this clash.
Jorginho should be expected to come into the base of the midfield, with Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand likely to get a spot if Declan Rice needs a rest, while Ethan Nwaneri should take the other midfield role. Kai Havertz could be afforded a rest, as Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka could complete the front three selections.
Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): Porter; Nichols, Heaven, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Nwaneri, Jorginho, M’hand; Saka, Jesus, Sterling
