Oleksandr Zinchenko has given his verdict on Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri, Lino Sousa and Reuell Walters, with the trio in the squad to face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Zinchenko speaking at the pre-match press conference (in comments reported via the club’s official online website) as the Gunners look to end their crusade at the organisational level in style.
With Arsenal already in the knockout stage and securing top spot in their group, Mikel Arteta has the chance to make some changes.
And 3 of those who have travelled to Eindhoven are Ethan Nwaneri, Lino Sousa and Reuell Walters.
Nwaneri, of course, was the youngest player in Premier League history when he made his debut last season. Meanwhile, Sousa and Walters are among those knocking on London Colney’s door, waiting for his senior greetings.
Obviously, it’s the best chance to take advantage of them tonight, but Oleksandr Zinchenko has said the trio will surely deserve their chance if they take on PSV.
“They’re amazing. all of them. I see them almost every day at the training ground, the way they train and the way they’re working, they definitely deserve this chance and hopefully we can see them very, very soon on the pitch,” he said.
“For me, when I was younger and I was given recommendations, I appreciated it a lot. We are all others and we react to conditions in other ways, maybe someone might think that if someone is looking to teach you, maybe I think they are above them or whatever, however, I reacted to those kinds of recommendations in a very positive way because when someone recommends you with more experience, that means he’s attentive and takes his time for you, which is why I’m open to anyone younger than me or not.
“Even at 26 years old, I don’t hesitate to ask Jorginho or more experienced players for advice. “
Of course, Arsenal would love to go into the knockout stages with another win under their belt. However, the priority has surely got to be coming through tonight’s game with none of their key players sustaining an injury.
With that, it would be wise to utilise Nwaneri, Sousa and Walters at some stage.
Certainly, Nwaneri will be one to watch given his five goals for the under-21s at the weekend. Arsenal are not looking brilliant up front this season. So he may feel there is a chance to send a message to Arteta in that different role.
In the meantime, Sousa could put some pressure on Zinchenko. Unfortunately, the left-back position has been a weakness for Arsenal in recent times. Again, Arteta probably wouldn’t need to rule anything out as he tries to find a solution.