Konstantinos Mavropanos is set to start for the Arsenal u23s on Monday, but club coaches reportedly believe he should be challenging for first-team starts very soon.

Goal report that Mavropanos is likely to return from injury to feature for the u23s against Manchester City on Monday. Arsenal officially confirmed this week that the Greek defender is back in full training, and now it’s just about getting him back match sharp.

That starts with a game for the academy, as it did for Laurent Koscielny after his long-term injury. However, it won’t be long until the defender is in contention for first-team matches, according to Goal’s claims. They write that there is ‘increased belief’ among Arsenal coaches that Mavropanos is ‘ready’ to play in the first-team, once he’s fit.

The 2018 January signing hasn’t had too many chances on the pitch for the senior side just yet. He played excellently on his debut against Manchester United, and then similarly well in his first start at the Emirates Stadium against Burnley. After his harsh red card in his third match though, injuries have prevented further opportunities.

Considering how poorly the Arsenal defence are performing, in general, it’s no real surprise to hear the coaching staff are willing to try someone different. We’ll see how the 21-year-old does when he’s back in the team.