Mikel Arteta has set Reiss Nelson a challenge amid hinting at a start for the Arsenal winger against Bodo/Glimt.
Since returning from a loan spell with Feyenoord in the summer, the 22-year-old has only made a matchday squad on two occasions so far this season; the opening day win at Crystal Palace and the North London Derby victory against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.
Although it's going back to January 2021 for the last time Nelson started a competitive fixture for Arsenal. That could be about to change on Thursday night as he's in line to benefit from Emile Smith Rowe's absence to replace Gabriel Martinelli on the left-hand side of the attack.
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Back to full fitness following a muscular injury sustained in training ahead of the 4-2 win over Leicester City in August, Nelson has been challenged by Arteta to make the most of the opportunities that are set to fall his way during a packed fixture schedule for the Gunners.
"After the spell that he had last year on loan, we wanted him back to see if there are any changes and there’s a prospect that we can really take to the next level," the Arsenal manager said in his pre-match press conference. "We think the potential is there and we think we’ve seen something in Reiss that is special.
"He’s been a part of our academy system and now he’s going to have an opportunity. He’s been out for almost three months with an injury, he’s back now, he’s fully fit and he’s ready to play. He just needs minutes now."
In addition, the Spaniard has cited Smith Rowe as an example for the Hale End graduate as the Arsenal no.10 missed a spell of games through injury and then came back into the first team: "That’s what he needs to do and now he needs to show that on the pitch," Arteta added.
"His attitude and the way he’s matured and evolved over the past year or so has been really impressive, I think everybody is talking about it and now he needs to do it on the pitch."
Whilst Nelson could start at the Emirates Stadium, Oleksandr Zinchenko might be a doubt as football.london were present for this afternoon's open training session at London Colney and revealed that the summer signing from Manchester City was not involved with the group who were put through their paces by the Spaniard and his coaching staff ahead of Thursday night's game.
With that said, it's understood that his absence was taken as a precautionary measure, rather than any serious injury. This bodes well ahead of Sunday's Premier League encounter with Liverpool as the Ukraine international was in line to be rested against Bodo/Glimt regardless.
The two Arsenal players already ruled out of Thursday's game are Mohamed Elneny and Emile Smith Rowe. In the case of the latter, it was announced last week that he had undergone surgery in an attempt to fix an ongoing groin issue and the hope is that he will return to training in December.
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