Snapped : Young Nigerian Left-back Trains With Arsenal First Team Pre-Fulham

Arsenal have stepped up their preparations for their first English Premier League game of the 2020-2021 season against Fulham at Craven Cottage with another training session held at London Colney, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

With nine first teamers namely Bernd Leno, Kieran Tierney, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sead Kolasinac, Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Matteo Guendouzi away on international duty, manager Mikel Arteta decided to invite some promising youth team players to make up the numbers.

Promising Nigeria-eligible left-back Tolaji Bola was pictured training with the first team in Thursday's workout.

A product of Arsenal's Hale End Academy, Bola is behind Tierney, Kolasinac and Saka in the pecking order of left-backs and his pathway to the first team has been blocked as a result of that.

The 21-year-old was involved in the Gunners 4-1 win against MK Dons nine days ago, replacing Maitland-Niles at half-time, but was not in the matchday squad against Liverpool in the Community Shield.

He was an unused substitute when Arsenal faced Nottingham Forest in the third round of the League Cup in September 2019.

Bola wore the number 39 kit in today's training session.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : arsenal.com