Arsenal have a decision to make over whether to start teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri in their opening Champions League game.
Martin Odegaard has now been ruled out for a lengthy period, handing Mikel Arteta a problem in his midfield as he needs to find a way to replace his captain.
Nwaneri is an option, as is Leandro Trossard in a midfield role, and the youngster came off the bench in Arsenal’s North London derby victory at Tottenham.
The 17-year-old looks ready for first-team action, but Arsenal face tough away trips to Atalanta and Manchester City, which are far from ideal games for the teenager to make his first start.
Some believe that the Atalanta game could be a good one for Nwaneri to make his full debut in, given that as it is the first of eight league phase games, Arsenal will have time to rectify any mistake in their Champions League campaign.
However, Arteta may look at his former teammate Hector Bellerin as a warning sign that the Atalanta game could be too tough for Nwaneri.
Hector Bellerin’s disastrous Arsenal debut in the Champions League
In September 2014, Arsenal were facing an injury crisis as right-backs Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers were both injured, but Arsene Wenger called upon teenager Bellerin.
Bellerin had featured for 26 minutes in the League Cup before being handed his first Arsenal start, in a Champions League group stage opener away at Borussia Dortmund.
The Spaniard was highly rated within the academy, and fans were excited to see him play. However, this decision was a disaster.
Arsenal put in a disastrous performance as they lost 2-0, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the scoresheet for Dortmund, and Bellerin really struggled in difficult circumstances.
“They came with so much tempo at the start with their quick players up front,” Bellerin admitted after his debut.
“We tried to start the game with the same tempo as them but we couldn’t, and that’s something we need to work on for our next game.
“But it was a dream come true for me tonight. It’s always your dream as a kid to make your debut in the Champions League. On the other hand, I’m gutted and we’ve just got to work harder in the next game.”
Bellerin’s debut was under high pressure at a tough European ground, and he looked so far out of his depth that he was not trusted again until a few months later, when he eventually began to thrive, and Arteta, who started against Dortmund that day, will be wary of what happened.
Arsenal face risk over Ethan Nwaneri against Atalanta
Nwaneri has more appearances under his belt than Bellerin and has played a similar number of minutes, but is two years younger and never had a loan spell unlike the right-back when he came in for his full debut.
Atalanta are a high-pressing team, and Granit Xhaka’s struggles against them in the Europa League final shows how difficult it is for midfielders to play against them.
Although Nwaneri might be the best tactical option given his ability to hold the ball under pressure, Arsenal will be wary that throwing him into the deep end in the Champions League could have consequences for both the player and the team.
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