Arsenal fans want 19-year-old to start on Friday against Everton

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Arsenal host Everton on Friday night in the Premier League – and some of the club’s supporters on Twitter have claimed that they want to see attacker Folarin Balogun start due to the latest injury news.

The Gunners welcome Everton to the Emirates Stadium later this week for a league meeting.

Manager Mikel Arteta already knows he’s going to be without senior forwards Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with both confirmed (official website) as unavailable.

Aubameyang is still recovering from malaria, while in-form Frenchman Lacazette is absent with a hamstring problem.

That leaves a young trio as possible options to play as the central striker. Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah and Balogun look like the frontrunners for the one starting role through the middle.

Balogun, who is from the Arsenal academy, made his first-team debut earlier this season.

The 19-year-old English striker has made six appearances across all competitions this season, scoring twice in the Europa League. But he’s yet to make his Premier League debut.

He’s been a goal machine at youth level, but the duo of Martinelli and Nketiah both have far more senior experience. Perhaps there could be a scenario where Balogun plays centrally with versatile forward Martinelli down the left.

It’s going to be an interesting decision from Arteta, especially as he may have one eye on next week’s Europa League match against Villarreal.

Here are some Arsenal fans asking for Balogun:

https://twitter.com/ftbI_james/status/1384888926729613313

https://twitter.com/parkjinyoung_ie/status/1384905586664411137