Mikel Arteta will need to make changes to his Arsenal starting XI this evening.
Arsenal will get their EFL Cup campaign underway when they host Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium later today.
This outing against the League One side will give Mikel Arteta an opportunity to rest and rotate his team.
A number of the Gunners’ key players are in need of a break. Sunday’s clash with Manchester City was a gruelling test and will have taken its toll on several players.
For instance, Ben White played through injury against Manchester City and will be in line for a rest when Arsenal take on Bolton. What’s more, Riccardo Calafiori appeared to pick up a knock against the Cityzens.
On top of that, Arteta has confirmed that Oleksandr Zinchenko remains injured, whilst Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are both also still sidelined.
These factors all mean that Arteta’s defensive options will be depleted when his side welcome Bolton this evening. The Spanish coach, though, will have plenty of Hale End academy prospects hoping to be given an opportunity to impress for the first team in this fixture, including Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Why Myles Lewis-Skelly must feature at the back for Arsenal vs Bolton
Lewis-Skelly made his first senior appearance for Arsenal as a late substitute against Manchester City on Sunday.
He will now hope to be handed his full debut with a start today. The 17-year-old has been a highly rated talent within the club for some time and could well have a big future.
What’s more, Lewis-Skelly has trained as a left-back, despite being a midfielder by trade, as Arteta believes that the teenager has the capacity to excel in the role.
Considering the absences Arteta is having to contend with at the back, he ought to start Lewis-Skelly against Bolton in this unfamiliar full-back role, putting faith in the youngster’s ability to translate his training ground lessons into action on the pitch.
Meanwhile, Lewis-Skelly’s fellow academy ace Ethan Nwaneri can take up a midfield role, whilst Jakub Kiwior, who might otherwise deputise as a left-back, can take up a centre-back berth, affording either William Saliba or Gabriel Magalhaes a well-deserved rest.
Why Mikel Arteta must take EFL Cup seriously
There may be a temptation for Arteta to rest as many players as possible and give a large number of academy talents a run out against Bolton.
Certainly, should the Gunners take a commanding lead, the manager will be expected to give plenty of youngsters an opportunity from the bench.
However, Arteta must avoid taking too many risks with his starting XI. The Gunners need to take this competition seriously, after all. What this Arsenal team needs to achieve in order to reach the next level is silverware.
Arteta’s side needs to get a taste for winning trophies, and gain the belief that they have what it takes to go all the way in a tournament. The EFL Cup represents the North London club’s first chance to do exactly that this season.
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