Arsenal’s 16-year-old academy goalkeeper Jack Porter is ready to start out their Carabao Cup third-round tie in opposition to Bolton Wanderers.
Arsenal are taking precautions over the health of first-choice goalkeeper David Raya, who left the Etihad Stadium on Sunday exhibiting some indicators of a knock.
Skilled deputy Neto is cup-tied after enjoying for Bournemouth earlier within the competitors and with 18-year-old summer season signing Tommy Setford injured, Mikel Arteta has turned to Porter for tonight’s sport on the Emirates Stadium.
Porter, who solely turned 16 in July, has educated intermittently with the primary workforce because the 2022-23 season. He has been a extra common presence in coaching over the previous couple of weeks, and has made a constructive impression along with his dealing with, ball-playing skill, and assured persona.
- Need all the newest Arsenal information, evaluation and extra perception from James McNicholas, Amy Lawrence, David Ornstein, Artwork de Roche, Jordan Campbell and extra? Be part of our new Arsenal WhatsApp channel
This summer season, Porter signed his official scholarship phrases. He has continued his improvement with Arsenal’s under-18 workforce, working intently with head of academy goalkeeping Mark Mason to arrange him for this sort of alternative. His performances have earned him recognition at worldwide stage with the England Below-17s.
Porter has already had some alternative to acclimatise to the first-team atmosphere. When Arsenal travelled to face Atalanta within the Champions League, Porter was named on the substitutes bench. His choice in opposition to Bolton is a big present of religion in his potential.
If Porter performs in opposition to Bolton, he’ll grow to be Arsenal’s second-youngest debutant behind Ethan Nwaneri, who featured in a Premier League sport in opposition to Brentford aged 15 years and 181 days in September 2022. Porter is 16 years and 72 days outdated and his choice would transfer Cesc Febregas (16 years and 177 days) down to 3rd on Arsenal’s youngest-ever participant checklist.
Raya’s damage is believed to be minor, and he’s anticipated to be in competition to face Leicester Metropolis within the Premier League this weekend.
Arsenal’s workforce for the Bolton sport is in any other case anticipated to be a mixture of youth and expertise. Skilled first-team members together with Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling are set to hitch academy prospects like Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly within the Arsenal XI.
GO DEEPER
Ramsdale out, Garcia in? The reshaping of Arsenal’s goalkeeping division
(Picture: David Worth/Arsenal FC through Getty Photos)
