Ethan Nwaneri has had a very difficult season at Arsenal.
The teenager signed a new contract in the summer and would have surely hoped to play a big part under Mikel Arteta this season.
However, Nwaneri has played just a little over 500 minutes of football all campaign. He has even been left out of Arsenal’s matchday squad in each of their last four Premier League games.
Soon, another Arsenal player could suffer the same fate – Myles Lewis-Skelly.
If Myles Lewis-Skelly could only play in one position for the rest of his career, would you have him at left-back or in midfield?
What's his best position?
Myles Lewis-Skelly could receive the Ethan Nwaneri treatment at Arsenal
Lewis-Skelly would’ve come back to pre-season in the summer thinking that he was Arsenal’s first-choice left-back.
The teenager broke into the first team in the 2023/24 season, and his performances were out of this world. He was exceptional even against the bigger sides.
However, Arteta decided at the start of the campaign that Riccardo Calafiori was his main man in that position, and summer signing Piero Hincapie has also leapfrogged Lewis-Skelly in the pecking order at left back.
As Martin Keown said, Arsenal’s bench was ‘ridiculous’ against Nottingham Forest. Lewis-Skelly made it, but Ethan Nwaneri and Christian Norgaard had to drop out.
Soon, the Gunners will have Calafiori and Hincapie available for selection, and both players will likely be included in the matchday squad.
For that to happen, two players will have to be left out, and we think Lewis-Skelly will be one of them, which is such a shame.
If you were Myles Lewis-Skelly, what would you do in the January transfer window after barely playing this season?
He needs to play to get into the England World Cup squad!
Myles Lewis-Skelly could suffer another major blow soon
It would be a harsh move to drop Lewis-Skelly from the matchday squad, but Arteta will not have any choice once everyone is fit.
Both Calafiori and Hincapie are ahead of the youngster in the pecking order, while Cristhian Mosquera will also have to be in the squad because he is William Saliba’s deputy at right-centre-back.
Arsenal don’t need more than three defenders on their bench, so Lewis-Skelly will have to accept being left out of the squad in the Premier League.
That is a big blow in itself, but what will make it even worse is that his chances of getting into the England World Cup squad will likely be over as well due to his lack of game time.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if the Arsenal academy graduate will ask for a loan move before the window shuts.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
