Arsenal are set to travel to face Brentford in the Third Round of the Carabao Cup tomorrow, and this could give an opportunity to some fringe players.
Mikel Arteta may be tempted to shuffle his pack following a disappointing 2-2 draw in the North London derby, and some players may now be handed their first starts of the season.
This could also be an opportunity for Arteta to follow in the footsteps of Arsene Wenger in terms of his team selection. Wenger would often use the League Cup to give chances to academy players, occasionally even throwing a lot of them into the fire at the same time.
Whilst Arteta may not line up with a full team of debutants, he could solve a lot of problems by throwing 18-year-old Reuell Walters straight into the action.
The teenager has impressed in pre-season and at youth level, but has never appeared for the senior side before. With Arsenal lacking in depth at the back, he could be given a start in defence away at the West London side.
Hale End in the League Cup
Although Wenger never won the League Cup, his tradition of giving youth players their chances in the competition was often rewarding.
The likes of Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin, Hector Bellerin and Serge Gnabry were all handed their debuts in the competition at young ages, with Wenger often rotating heavily to save his first team for the League and Europe.
Arsenal could line up with as many as four Hale End academy graduates tomorrow in Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe and Walters, and the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly could even be eyeing up a place on the bench.
It would be something of a missed opportunity for these talented youngsters to not even make the matchday squad whilst the likes of Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard are in need of a rest.
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