Arsenal Wenger fields Arsenal kids against BATE Borisov with Reiss Nelson, Ashley Maitland-Niles and Joe Willock starting
Wenger has promoted his latest batch of promising youngsters to the first team after they featured in the Premier League and League Cup earlier this term
ARSENE WENGER will blood the youngsters once again as Arsenal face BATE Borisov ahead tonight.
Young Gunners such as Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles all start the clash in Belarus.
While Matt Macey, Josh Dasilva, Charlie Gilmour, Marcus McGuane, Vlad Dragomir, Chuba Akpom and Edward Nketiah all make the bench
Wenger has promoted his latest batch of promising youngsters to the first team, after they featured in the Premier League and League Cup earlier this term.
The side landed in Belarus yesterday and had a pre-match press conference in Minsk.
Nelson, 17, Maitland-Niles, 20, Chuba Akpom, 21, and Willock, 18, have all impressed during pre-season and continued that form into the season.
Arsenal boss Wenger said: "This is the kind of job, you do not get ten opportunities to play for Arsenal.
"Even if they only get 20 minutes, you have to convince people you have the qualities to do it and the courage to play and show your qualities.
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"After, to show it during competition is something different, and you only discover that during the competition.
"We see in training that the player has quality. He is here because he has the qualities.
"I said on Monday night after the (2-0 defeat of West Brom) that I would play an experienced team with a young bench.
"We have a very tight schedule and it is an important game, and that's why there is only one or two young players who will start."
Discussing Maitland-Niles, Wenger said: "His best position is defensive midfield. He has exceptional pace, a capacity to steal the ball from people, and I am convinced that he is ready to play.
"He has to improve a little bit on the concentration front, the demands of top-level football don't tolerate some lapses of concentration, but all the rest is there."
