Double debut as Mikel Arteta unleashes wonderkids up front – Arsenal predicted XI vs Leicester

The slow build of Arsenal’s fixture list increases this week as the Gunners begin their domestic cup commitments away to Leicester City.

The EFL Cup has traditionally been a tournament in which Arsenal blood the best and brightest of their academy but such has been the numerical depth of their squad in recent years that all but the most promising have missed out to first teamers.
That may not change in the third round at the King Power Stadium, not least because as Manchester City assistant Mikel Arteta saw the value of a competition that his former club has won in each of the last three seasons.

“We are going to take the Carabao Cup seriously, that is for sure,” Arteta said. “Maybe not in the first games but when the competition moves a little more forward, how teams – not just ourselves – are going to treat the competition.
“The last few seasons I think this competition for the clubs has raised (importance), there is only one winner in the Premier League.

“That leaves a lot of frustrated clubs and now everybody wants a title and you can see in the last few years that teams have used strong line-ups and the types of finals we have seen in recent years.”
Equally Arteta will have to balance his desire for further silverware with his need to give game time to a squad that currently numbers 32. Some of those may not be risked for fear that injury will derail a proposed move but the likes of Matteo Guendouzi and Mesut Ozil, exiled from the first team, are not close to the Emirates Stadium exit door. They could come into contention even if only on the bench.
Meanwhile the EFL Cup offers an opportunity to blood the two summer signings yet to make their debuts. Alex Runarsson’s arrival was announced on Monday but he had already trained with some of his new team-mates and could be given a chance to impress.

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William Saliba is yet to feature since his return from a loan with Saint-Etienne but it would in keeping with Arsenal’s plans to ease the 19-year-old into contention if he were to make his debut away from the high stakes of the Premier League.

“I think William is doing really well,” Arteta said. “He is adapting to the country, adapting to our club. We have to bear in mind that he had a really challenging season last year with the amount of injuries that he had.

“But he is a player that is going to be really important in our future, things sometimes take some time and we have to respect that.”
He could be partnered with the steady head of David Luiz at the back with the Brazilian having overcome a neck issue. Arsenal are, however, somewhat light in defensive numbers with Kieran Tierney (groin), Sokratis and Cedric Soares (both calf) unavailable. Arteta is also without long-term absentees Calum Chambers (knee), Pablo Mari (ankle) and Shkodran Mustafi (hamstring).

Further forward Arteta has several young players raring to make an impression, including Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah. The match could also provide an opportunity for Nicolas Pepe to make his first start of the season.

Predicted Arsenal XI: Runarsson; Saliba, Luiz, Kolasinac; Bellerin, Ceballos, Willock, Maitland-Niles; Pepe, Nketiah, Nelson

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