The latest photos stemming from the training ground of Premier League giants Arsenal have hinted at the potential inclusion of a surprise face in the club’s squad to face Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
Gunners’ woes
The subject of the North London Derby, and more specifically Arsenal’s role in the clash, has of course proven headline news across the day to date.
This comes with Mikel Arteta’s men currently in the midst of nothing short of a crisis on the personnel front.
Owing to a combination of Covid-19, injuries, AFCON participation and suspension, the Gunners are without a whole host of key first-team squad members, including all of Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, Emile Smith Rowe, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Martin Odegaard.
In turn, with the club’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium now less than 48 hours away, it didn’t come as all that much of a surprise when, earlier this evening, word was forthcoming that Arsenal had lodged an official request with the Premier League, to have the fixture postponed:
? We can confirm we’ve made an application to the Premier League to postpone Sunday’s north London derby.#TOTARS
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 14, 2022
Moller to feature?
As things stand, though, it remains unclear whether or not the Premier League intend to acquiesce to the application lodged by those in a position of power at the Emirates.
As a result, the North London Derby is currently slated to go ahead as planned.
And, as alluded to above, if the latest photos stemming from the club’s training ground on Friday are anything to go by, then Arsenal, amid their player crisis, could well be forced into making use of some of the latest up-and-coming Hale End talent on Sunday.
After the likes of Omari Hutchinson and Charlie Patino were included in Mikel Arteta’s matchday squad to face Liverpool in midweek, another highly-regarded youngster was spotted in training alongside the club’s senior ranks earlier today.
The player in question? Nikolaj Moller.
19-year-old hitman Moller, a 2020 summer arrival in the English capital, was recalled from a loan spell in Germany with Viktoria Koln just last week.
And the Swede could well be thrown in at the deep end this weekend, with a spot on the bench for one of English football’s fiercest derbies:
Nikolaj Moller training with the Arsenal first team ahead of Sunday’s north London derby. https://t.co/cy7AF4tYOs pic.twitter.com/3swoVXSli3
— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley_) January 14, 2022
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