Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta can unleash duo he loves to solve injury crisis

Arsenal's Carabao Cup clash with Bolton could be the perfect opportunity for Mikel Arteta to test the qualities of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly from the start against senior opposition. Both stars have impressed in the Gunners' academy and have been slowly integrated into the first-team this season.

But a growing injury crisis at the Emirates Stadium could present a chance for the teenage pair to shine against Bolton. Arteta expects to have several players unavailable for the visit of the League One side, including captain Martin Odegaard.

Doubts have also been raised over the fitness of goalkeeper David Raya and defenders Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, who were both substituted in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday. Arsenal will likely heavily rotate their team for tonight's cup tie.

If Arteta wants to learn just how well Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly can adapt to senior football, then handing them full debuts against Bolton could be the best opportunity to do so. Nwaneri, an attacking midfielder who can also play out wide, could play on the right to allow Bukayo Saka to rest.

Lewis-Skelly developed as a creative midfielder but has featured at left-back since his promotion to the first-team squad. Arteta may see a future for the 17-year-old as an inverted full-back.

"Those two are really pushy, really demanding. They want everything," Arteta said of the duo on Tuesday. "They want to see everything. They want more and more information. They love it. You can tell they are so passionate about it.

"They see the opportunity, and they want to grab it with both hands. They are great to work with."

Nwaneri has been forced to wait for first-team opportunities since becoming the Premier League's youngest-ever player aged 15 in 2022. He was a late substitute in last weekend's win over Tottenham, while Lewis-Skelly made his top-flight debut against City.

Arteta added: "I am very proud of them because they are dealing with a situation probably earlier than expected. They have been given the chance to play in two of the most historic and more difficult probably grounds in the Premier League and they both responded really well.

"Their attitude has been superb. It's not easy when you have to spend five, six weeks with the first team and then you have to start to play at a different level, but this is where they are at the moment and they're going to have more chances because they have conducted themselves in the right way in that sense as well."

If Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly impress against Bolton, they could help to solve Arsenal's injury issues by providing genuine options for Premier League games.