Arsenal have learned their upcoming opponents for the third round of the FA Youth Cup, the first round the club feature in.

The FA completed the draw for the next round of the FA Youth Cup this week, with Arsenal drawing Rotherham United away from home. All ties must be played by Saturday, 12th December, with kick-offs at 7pm unless mutually agreed otherwise.

Not to put too much pressure on them before they even play their first minutes in the FA Youth Cup this season, but Arsenal have a strong crop of u18 players to feature in the competition.

The likes of Khayon Edwards, Marcelo Flores, Omari Hutchinson, Luke Plange, and Kido Taylor-Hart are all making great starts to the season in front of goal, scoring and/or assisting regularly in the early weeks of the season.

Then there’s Charlie Patino and Mauro Bandeira in midfield, Taylor Foran, Alex Kirk, Zach Awe, Mazeed Ogungbo and Brooke Norton-Cuffy in defence, among many others.

Even some of the current u23 squad can drop down to play, like Miguel Azeez, Catalin Cirjan, Joel Ideho, and Salah Oulad M’Hand. They’re still young enough, as they were all 17 years old on August 31st.

Arsenal made it to the quarter-finals of the Youth Cup last year, and all the way to the final in 2017/18, but it’s 11 years since they last won the competition in 2009. It would be great to see them making another long run this time around.