£100k-a-week Arsenal player says he’s ready to start regularly for Mikel Arteta now

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Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah is confident that he can lead the line for Arsenal this season regardless of an injury to Gabriel Jesus.

Nketiah, speaking to ESPN after the friendly against Monaco, said he believes in his ability to make a difference.

Nketiah said: “I don’t think I’m here to fill in for anyone.

“I’m here to play and contribute to the team.

“Obviously, I believe in my abilities and I know I can contribute.

“The manager has got a tough decision and whenever he calls me, he knows I can deliver and I can help the team, so it’s just about us all collectively playing our part to achieve our goals.”

Eddie Nketiah of course filled in for Gabriel Jesus for large parts of last season owing to the same injury for the Brazilian.

And despite deputising fairly well on the whole he only managed four goals in 30 Premier League appearances.

That is definitely a figure that Arsenal’s number 14 will believe he can better this season – probably even before Jesus returns.

At 24-years-old Nketiah surely still has a lot of room for improvement, and first team chances will be crucial.

Nketiah is confident he can lead the line for Arsenal after Jesus’ injury

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta showed a ton of faith in Nketiah when they handed him a new £100k-a-week deal last summer.

The contract runs until 2027 and Nketiah will surely hope he can prove himself as the club’s leading striker in that period.

However, with Jesus injured, it’s not impossible that another Arsenal player could play centrally.

One Leandro Trossard has been in electric form in pre-season and it looks almost impossible for him not to start on the opening day.

Trossard of course played regularly in a central striker role at Brighton before joining and may be eyeing the spot for himself.

However, in the wake of Jesus’ injury, Nketiah has a big chance at Arsenal and he’ll be keen to show why he’s wearing Thierry Henry’s former number.