The Arsenal u21s team selection against Exeter City will provide an early hint at potential first-team call-ups for Arsenal’s League Cup game against Brighton in midweek.
In a somewhat unfortunate coincidence, Arsenal are set to compete in both the EFL Trophy and the League Cup in midweek, with the u21s travelling away to Exeter City on Tuesday, and the first-team at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.
The same thing happened in the previous round, with the Arsenal u21s playing Newport County on Tuesday and the first-team playing Port Vale on Wednesday.
The whole point of u21 teams participating in the EFL Trophy is so they can get additional experience against senior opposition, but that benefit is somewhat nullified if individual players have to miss a first-team game they might have had a chance to play instead.
The reverse is also true. Max Dowman got to make his League Cup debut as a substitute against Port Vale, but he missed a potential 90-minute match against senior players the previous day so he could be available for Mikel Arteta’s side instead.
It was the correct choice, but it was a choice they shouldn’t have had to make.
Last season, all of Arsenal’s EFL Trophy games were scheduled in different midweeks to the League Cup fixtures, allowing someone like Josh Nichols to play in both competitions. This year, Nichols was only able to play in the opening EFL Trophy game, missing out on the League Cup match.
The one upside for Arsenal fans is that Tuesday’s u21 squad should give a hint at the players in line for first-team call-ups against Brighton. If Dowman is left out by the u21s once again, it suggests he’ll be involved in the Brighton match.
Centre-back Marli Salmon and striker Andre Harriman-Annous would have been two others to watch out for in Tuesday’s u21 squad, as they are each close to first-team involvement and could capitalise on Arsenal’s current list of injuries.
But Salmon won’t be called up due to his involvement with the England u17s, so he’ll miss both Arsenal fixtures.