Ethan Nwaneri will be desperate for the opportunity to prove himself on the Champions League stage when Arsenal take on Shakhtar Donetsk.
Arsenal will welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening, and Mikel Arteta will be expected to shake up his starting XI for this European encounter.
Ethan Nwaneri is yet to make his debut in the Champions League, but has already impressed for the Gunners on numerous occasions this season.
The 17-year-old Hale End academy starlet is an enormous talent, and has shown that he can compete at first team level. There is now pressure on the manager to afford him opportunities to develop and prove his quality.
Arsenal fans were furious with Arteta after he neglected to start Nwaneri in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth, instead only introducing the teenager for the final ten minutes of that game.
Mikel Arteta discusses Ethan Nwaneri ahead of Arsenal vs Shakhtar Donetsk
Arteta will be aware of the clamour to give Nwaneri minutes, but he will also be conscious of needing to afford the youngster some protection.
Throwing the England under-19 international in at the deep end and exposing him to too many challenges too soon certainly carries the risk of doing him more harm than good in the long-term.
Addressing this issue ahead of the visit of Shakhtar Donetsk in his press conference, as shared by Hayers TV, Arteta said: “I think it’s identifying moments [to play Ethan Nwaneri], understanding where he is, where the team is and what is the optimal moment to throw a player in that context.
“He’s already done a lot in a short period of time so let’s take it step by step and make sure those steps are consistent and can allow him to grow in the manner and form that we want in the team.”
Should Ethan Nwaneri start for Arsenal against Shakhtar Donetsk?
With Martin Odegaard still injured for this match, there is an obvious space in the side that Nwaneri could fill.
On top of that, Arsenal lacked creativity against Bournemouth last time out, which is an issue that Arteta now needs to address.
The time has come for Nwaneri to step up and start for Arsenal when required, and there is the need for him to do so now. He has earned this opportunity and Arteta must listen to the supporters and invest his faith in the attacking midfielder for this fixture.
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