What Arsenal boss Arteta said on the possibility of Nwaneri starting against Liverpool

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has spoken about the possibility of Ethan Nwaneri being handed a start in the crunch Premier League tie with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday evening.

The Gunners head into the game with concerns regarding the fitness of Bukayo Saka, Calafiori and Jurrien Timber while skipper Martin Ødegaard is still nursing an ankle injury which has kept him on the sidelines for the last five league games.

These fitness concerns, particularly those of Ødegaard and Saka, have raised the possibility of Nwaneri being handed his first-ever Premier League start.

The record-breaking midfielder has barely been involved in the league this season, having made just three cameo appearances and has been an unused substitute on five occasions, logging a total of eighteen minutes. 

There have been calls to hand him more playing opportunities, with Ian Wright being the latest to urge Arteta to do so, but it appears that the Gunners’ boss is not ready to throw caution to the wind with the talented midfielder.

Arteta was asked in his pre-match conference ahead of Sunday's meeting with the league leaders about the possibility of starting the 17-year-old and Myles Lewis-Skelly and he revealed that they are under consideration of being named in the starting lineup.

In quotes relayed by Arsenal's official website, the Spanish tactician said: "They are there, you know, they are in contention. They're always giving us the option and the possibility to start the game. 

"Myles came on the other night and he did really well, Ethan the same. So they're first-team players, they're with us and we treat them and we value in the same way as any other player."

Nwaneri's only start this season was in the comfortable 5-1 triumph over Bolton Wanderers in the third round of the Carabao Cup last month.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

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