We know that the Football League cup is not the highest on the list of priorities for the Arsenal manager, at least until the later rounds when the chances of winning a trophy cannot be ignored, but Arsene Wenger will still want to get through our first game in the competition away to Nottingham Forest tonight.
With a big squad and strong competition for places these4 games and the easier ones in the Champions League and later in the FA cup give the boss a great opportunity to give some much needed game time to the fringe players and the ones trying to break into the team from the academy, as you can see from the starting line-up.
Martinez
Maitland-Niles, Holding, Gabriel, Gibbs
Elneny, Xhaka
Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reine-Adelaide, Akpom
Lucas
Subs: Macey, Bielik, Sheaf, Mavididi, Willock, Zelalem, Dasilva.
There are some first team players in there but a look at the subs bench tells you that Wenger is not willing to risk the fitness of his key players, so we have to hope that the likes of Gibbs, Xhaka and the Ox are determined to show that they should be playing more.
But perhaps the fact that our former striker Nicklas Bendtner has joined Forest and is likely to be out to prove a point will turn out to be a key factor, especially against the makeshift Arsenal defence. How do you see this one going Gooners?
Bob.