Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has now delivered a message to Mikel Arteta about Ethan Nwaneri.
There is currently plenty of speculation surrounding Arsenal wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri.
With club captain Martin Odegaard unfit to face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby this weekend, and Declan Rice and Mikel Merino also unavailable for this fixture, attention has turned to how Mikel Arteta might adapt his midfield to cope with these absences.
Nwaneri is one option to replace Odegaard on derby day. The 17-year-old is hugely talented and has featured at Premier League level before, with two senior first team appearances to his name.
Arteta has promised that Nwaneri will play this season, but to throw him in at the deep end in such a huge fixture would be a major risk that could easily backfire on Arsenal, Arteta, and the teenager himself.
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Theo Walcott shares Ethan Nwaneri verdict ahead of North London Derby
Theo Walcott has cautioned Arteta against relying on the England under-19 international against Spurs.
Speaking to Football.London, the former winger said: “I wouldn’t expect Nwaneri to start in that position. I think he’s one of those who likes to come inside but to start in the derby when you got a lot of players out, I’m not quite sure yet if he’s ready for that.”
Walcott broke through at Arsenal at an early age himself, and reflected upon his own experiences, adding: “Of course, make an impact because again, when I came through, I was used as a bit of an impact player at first just to find my feet, and it worked.
“I think when you have that as a player, eventually, yes, you do need to take the next step when the manager gives you the opportunity and actually go for it but I just don’t think this is the right timing [for Nwaneri] right now.
“He had a great pre-season, great kid, good athlete. But it’s one of those where we just need to take a step back – which we won’t because I know that from being on the other side of it – and just let this guy develop.”
Mikel Arteta’s responsibility towards Nwaneri
Whilst a big part of Arteta’s job is to develop and improve Nwaneri as a player, he must also look out for him as a person.
Arteta has a duty to protect Nwaneri, and there are numerous ways he can do this, including being selective about the games he plays him in and the positions he deploys him in.
As Walcott has asserted, the North London Derby is not an ideal fixture in which to hand Nwaneri his first ever Premier League start, and doing so could cause more harm than good.
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