Huddersfield Town v Arsenal- Match Preview

A young Arsenal side travel to Huddersfield tonight in a match to celebrate the Yorkshire club’s Centenary. Samir Nasri, Nicklas Bendtner, William Gallas and Abou Diaby all have knocks whilst Armand Traore, Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo are also out.

Twenty players have been named in the squad including new first-year scholar Emmanuel Frimpong and Havard Nordtveit who has returned from injury. Seven first-teamers have been included (Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Johan Djourou, Carlos Vela, Justin Hoyte, Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone) whilst the likes of Henri Lansbury, Gavin Hoyte, Kieran Gibbs, Mark Randall and Jay Simpson have all represented the first-team during pre-season. The rest of the squad is mainly made up of young pros including the promising Sanchez Watt and Nacer Barazite, whilst Rui Fonte was on target last week as an Arsenal XI saw off Rushden & Diamonds.

Reserves boss Neil Banfield has reserved some special praise for Wilshere, saying

“If the young players work hard at their game, listen to the advice of the coaching staff, they realise they will have every opportunity here, the manager has always said he will play them if they are good enough, and he is true to his word; he always has been in every way. But the bar is extremely high and you have to be over it to get the opportunity.

“Jack was given the opportunity by the manager to go on the Austrian Training Camp, along with five others who have all done really well. Jack has taken his chance, and he is one of quite a few we have here that we have high hopes for.

“You have to adapt to the physical aspects of the game, and I think Jack is strong enough. It is about how you physically develop and I think with Jack, even at 16, it doesn’t mean he won’t be as physically strong as someone at 18 or even someone at 20.

“That has been the benefit of our Reserve team. The experienced players that our lads are up against means they learn on the pitch. The senior players then show them what to do while the game is going on. That is carried on for the young lads who learned so much in Austria.”

Quotes from arsenal.com

Predicted team:

———————Fabianski———————–

–J.Hoyte—-Djourou—————-G.Hoyte—-Gibbs

-Lansbury—Ramsey—————-Randall—–Wilshere

———–Walcott—————-Vela————–

subs: Mannone, Bartley, Emmanuel-Thomas, Fonte, Frimpong, Nordtveit, Simpson, Watt.

Some of the younger lads should get their chance in the second half as Arsenal look to preserve some of the first-teamers for the Amsterdam Tournament which kicks off on Friday.

It’s interesting to see that the likes of James Dunne, Abu Ogogo, Paul Rodgers and Rene Steer are not included whilst the likes of Watt, Frimpong, Bartley and Emmanuel-Thomas are and it seems as if the quartet who have been left out are unlikely to have a future at the club, other than possibly Rodgers who has been linked with a loan move to a couple of Championship clubs.

There will be a full match report later tonight with special analysis on how the younger players got on.