Rumours are circling that Arsenal could be set to start Ethan Nwaneri in the north London derby this weekend, according to the BBC’s Mark Chapman.

Ethan Nwaneri in training with the Arsenal first team (Photo via Arsenal.com)
Ethan Nwaneri in training with the Arsenal first team (Photo via Arsenal.com)

Speaking to the BBC’s Planet Premier League podcast, Mark Chapman suggested that there are rumours going around that Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri could be set to start against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

“At the other end of the scale as we move onto the north London derby, there are rumours going around at the moment, and these may be quashed by the time the game comes around,” Chapman said (via CaughtOffside).

“They have some issues in midfield Arsenal, Declan Rice is suspended, Martin Odegaard picked up an injury during the week, their signing in the summer, Merino is already injured.

“So there are these rumours that they may start a 17-year-old, Ethan Nwaneri.”

Ethan Nwaneri playing for the Arsenal u21s (Photo via Arsenal.com)
Ethan Nwaneri playing for the Arsenal u21s (Photo via Arsenal.com)

As Chapman mentions, Arsenal have issues in midfield. With Declan Rice suspended, and Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino injured, the Gunners’ options in the middle are looking thin.

Fabio Vieira (loan) and Emile Smith Rowe (permanent) both left the club this summer, further decreasing Mikel Arteta’s list of alternatives to Odegaard.

Arteta still has a few midfielders available in Jorginho, Thomas Partey, and Kai Havertz, but the question is whether that makes a particularly balanced central trio.

Nwaneri is the more natural replacement for Odegaard on the right, he’s just a very inexperienced one.

Ethan Nwaneri in training with Arsenal (Photo via Arsenal.com)
Ethan Nwaneri in training with Arsenal (Photo via Arsenal.com)

This isn’t the first time there have been suggestions that Nwaneri might play an increased first-team role at Arsenal this season.

Reports had previously hinted that Nwaneri might be set to step into the space vacated by Smith Rowe and Vieira, who both got minutes as backups for Arsenal last season.

Two goals on England youth duty over the international break prove that Nwaneri is in good form as well.

But it was expected that those first-team Arsenal minutes would be available in League Cup ties or games against struggling relegation clubs, not away to Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite Chapman’s claims, it doesn’t seem particularly likely Arteta will throw Nwaneri in for his first-ever start away to Spurs. Time will tell.