Wenger gambles on youngsters

ARSENE WENGER has warned his assortment of travelling kids that their futures could be decided in as little as 20 minutes when Arsenal face the heat of the BATE Borisov crowd tonight.

The Arsenal boss has travelled to Belarus without the majority of his bigger names, with Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Alex Lacazette, Laurent Koscielny, Hector Bellerin and Aaron Ramsey all left in London. Wenger argues that three games in six days has necessitated the rotation for this clash, but that has opened the door for the fringe elements of his squad.

‘This is the kind of job you do not get 10 opportunities to play for Arsenal,’ he said.

‘You have to convince people you have the qualities to do it and you have the courage to play and show your qualities. There is always an uncertainty. We know in training, you see that the player has the quality. Yes, he is here because he has the qualities. To show it during competition is different. And in my experience you only discover that during competition.’

ARSENAL (3-4-3, probable): Ospina; Holding, Mertesacker, Mustafi; Nelson, Wilshere, Elneny, Maitland-Niles; Walcott, Giroud, Willock.