Don Pacifico wrote:

Am wondering who will get a chance in the squad for Thursday? Feels like Matt Smith has a chance for some minutes along with Marquinhos. Then maybe a few others (Awe, Henry-Francis) could make the squad but not get any minutes?

Imagine for the most part, we'll use it as an opportunity to get fitness levels to for some of the 1st team squad but would hope 3-4 youth players can make the squad.

I imagine that we will start White, Xhaka, Sambi, Martinelli from the group that started on Sunday. 

Can fill out the team with Turner, Cedric, Holding, Tierney, Smith, Vieira, Nketiah 

Thoughts 

• I think one of our 3 captains starts. Odegaard was playing injured on Sunday so should rest. Jesus leads the press and needs rest
• Henry-Francis is exciting but still a baby and has had some ups and downs. He is probably a better player than Smith, but Smith is likely readier having spent a lot of Mikel's reign around the team 
• Should've looked at signing Barkley. We just need a guy with a pulse to play these Europa games right now 

Reserves good start to the season under Mehmet Ali continued as they beat Blackburn 4-1.

However, the biggest news has to be Ethan Nwaneri. The 15 year old attacking midfielder was fast tracked to make his debut for the reserves and apparently did not look out of place against much older lads.

In this process, he became one of the youngest players in club's history to be fast tracked. Puts him in elite company like David O'Leary and Tony Adams.

Are there any wingers we could promote to the EL squad?

Now with Smith-Rowe out (god knows how long) it would really help the team if we can unearth another Saka.

Sagoe Jnr any good? Kido Hart gets a lot of hype, how come he’s nowhere to be seen yet?

1 kid has to take their opportunity of a life time imo.

Heard Matt Smith played 43 injury free games last season so sounds reliable. Hope he plays from the start on Thur, supposed to be a very good passer of the ball.

Edit: Just watched this video of Sagoe Jnr. Without going overboard he could be our next Saka. Looks very good and most importantly two footed :

Article on Sagoe jnr following his brace on the weekend for the under 21’s:

https://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2022/09/03/report-sagoe-jr-impresses-and-ethan-nwaneri-enjoys-encouraging-debut-as-arsenal-u21s-beat-blackburn/

Hutchinson probably would have definitely got some mins in the EL if he stuck around.

Sagoe Jnr feels too young but then you realise Saka and Martinelli were younger when they got their debuts so not a bad shout.

Nwaneri is supposed to be very exciting and the fact that he's featuring for the U21s at 15 is really impressive. Saw a clip of one of his passes and it was juicy.

Hutchinson is an idiot/very badly advised as no doubt he would have been given a shot this season.

I hope he rots at Chelsea.

Isn't Nelson still with us?

Out for a while though with injury.

Injured until October I think.

Well there goes his last chance at Arsenal then I suppose.

Sicario wrote:

Hutchinson is an idiot/very badly advised as no doubt he would have been given a shot this season.

I hope he rots at Chelsea.

Hutchinson very likely would have gotten cup + Europa league minutes here if he had stayed.

Definitely a bad advise on Kia's part for him to force his way to out join Chelsea of all places.

The names keep getting more difficult to remember too.

I’m not expecting much from the youth to be honest. We’ve had another of our golden generation. The one I would look out for is Brooke Norton Cuffy. He’s been the youngest player, 17 1/2 now in the games I’ve seen last season, but was always the most physically dominant. Could be our answer to Reece James without the chunky body.

Other than that, just waiting for Balogun’s return

Patino is clearly very talented too and seems to have transitioned fairly well into senior football. Can definitely see him taking up a spot as cover next season.

Exactly. If we'd bought a CM in the summer, we'd have only ended up killing Patino.

Claudius wrote:

I’m not expecting much from the youth to be honest. We’ve had another of our golden generation. The one I would look out for is Brooke Norton Cuffy. He’s been the youngest player, 17 1/2 now in the games I’ve seen last season, but was always the most physically dominant. Could be our answer to Reece James without the chunky body.

Other than that, just waiting for Balogun’s return

I have high hopes for Mika Biereth. Really intelligent modern center forward.

He was the best player in U18s in England only a year ago (for Fulham from where we poached him) and had an impressive first year in U21s.

It is a shame that he got injured after tearing it in pre-season for Waalwijck and has missed the start of season in Erdivisie.

15yr old Ethan Nwaneri trained with the first team today after some U21 appearances recently. Kid must be very highly rated.

Yeah, he is very highly rated.

I think there is also an element about keeping his camp satisfied by showing that he is highly valued here by fast tracking him when we can.

There is apparently a very solid interest to snag him up by Liverpool before he can sign even a scholarship deal.