Opinion

The four Arsenal wonderkids who could now make their Champions League debut v PSV

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Arsenal are set to face PSV Eindhoven in their final Champions League group game, with the Gunners already qualified for the knockout rounds.

With Arsenal confirmed as group winners, and PSV’s place in the knockouts also confirmed, the game is a ‘dead rubber’ tie for both sides, and plenty of rotation is expected.

This gives Mikel Arteta the chance to rotate his pack in the middle of a busy schedule, and the likes of Bukayo Saka and William Saliba should be given a rest.

This opens up the opportunity for some of Arsenal’s talented youngsters to gain some more first-team experience, and there are four players all pushing to make their Champions League debuts.

Arsenal academy quartet in line for debuts

The Evening Standard has highlighted that youngsters Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Reuell Walters and Amario Cozier-Duberry are all in line to appear in the Netherlands on Tuesday.

Nwaneri has already appeared for the first team once, but the rest are yet to make their Arsenal debuts, despite several appearances on the bench in recent seasons.

Walters is a defender capable of playing across the back line, Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri are midfielders and Cozier-Duberry is a right-winger.

They are four of the highest-rated talents in the academy setup, and fans are keen on seeing them test themselves in the first-team.

Which Arsenal stars could appear against PSV?

Arsenal U18 v West Ham United U18 - FA Youth Cup Final
Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

It would be a bold move for Arteta to start all four youngsters at the same time, but given the circumstances of the game, they could gain some valuable experience.

Fellow defender Lino Sousa could also appear, with Arsenal currently light-handed in defence. Takehiro Tomiyasu’s injury has meant that there is limited depth at the back, and another injury in the back line could be disastrous.

Defensive outcast Cedric Soares could appear in place of Ben White, whilst Walters can allow William Saliba a chance to rest ahead of Sunday’s game against Brighton.

The likes of Declan Rice should also be rested, and this could give Mohamed Elneny a rare start, having made his return from injury at the start of the season.

Given the concerns over Bukayo Saka’s workload, Cozier-Duberry could come in as a direct replacement, whilst Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah will also be hoping for starts.

Emile Smith Rowe recently returned to training, and if he is fit enough to feature, it will be a good opportunity for him to make his comeback after his latest injury.