Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been forced to make some key changes to his team for the EFL Cup clash with Bolton Wanderers.
The Gunners have been light in the goalkeeper department after a summer of change, which has seen David Raya become the number-one choice with Neto joining on a season-long loan as a backup.
The duo were not named in the squad for the EFL Cup though and while summer signing Tommy Setford would naturally step in, his injury issues kept him out of the side too.
Step forward Hale End academy, with some of the next generations of shot-stoppers hopeful of making their mark in a rare chance at first-team football.
Youngster Jack Porter is set to make his debut at just 16 years old, while Alexei Rojas joins him on the bench as another option.
Why David Raya is missing from Arsenal v Bolton
Raya was missing from the Arsenal squad to face Bolton on Wednesday night, coming as a huge blow to the side.
The Spaniard has been in top form since signing permanently in the summer, making some vital stops and interventions early on in the campaign.
Plenty of those came in the most recent clash with Manchester City in the Premier League, where the goalkeeper had to be at his best to beat away the onslaught of attacks from the home side.
In bad news for Arsenal, Raya was pictured limping with a bandage around his leg after the Man City game, sparking injury fears.
With that in mind, Raya has been rested by Arteta to avoid any possibility of flaring up an injury concern he has.
It means the shot-stopper should make a return for the clash against Leicester City at the weekend, so long as it doesn’t transpire to be a serious problem.
Why Neto is missing from Arsenal v Bolton
Neto joined Arsenal as a backup option on loan from AFC Bournemouth for the campaign in the event of Raya not being available.
With the first-choice goalkeeper not available, there may have been some surprise that their second-choice wasn’t around to fill in.
That’s because Neto was unfortunately cup-tied by playing for Bournemouth earlier in the competition, featuring for the Cherries against West Ham in the second round.
It means the experienced ‘keeper won’t be able to feature in the EFL Cup at all, but will be free to feature in other competitions.
Jack Porter handed Arsenal debut
With the experienced goalkeepers not involved, Arteta has turned to youth in handing a debut to youngster Jack Porter.
The 16-year-old becomes the second-youngest player to play for the side, behind only Ethan Nwaneri who debuted at 15 years old.
- READ MORE: Get to know Jack Porter with everything on the Arsenal goalkeeper, including age, height and stats
Porter has a chance to cement himself in the Arsenal history books while also looking to prove himself for a place in the team for the future.
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