Mikel Arteta calls up ‘unplayable’ 17-year-old to Arsenal training ahead of Lens clash

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been putting his players through their paces ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League home encounter with Lens.

The Gunners need just one point to progress to the knockout stages of the competition against the only team that has beaten them so far in the tournament.

Arsenal will hope to make amends at the Emirates Stadium but, more importantly, they’ll seek to get over the line and into the last 16 of the competition.

In Tuesday’s training session at London Colney, Arteta called up a number of Gunners academy talents, including Myles Lewis-Skelly. He was pictured giving chase to Martin Odegaard.

Goal.com journalist and Arsenal fan Charles Watts took to X with an update from Colney.

He said: “Arsenal training, going through their paces ahead of tomorrow’s game against Lens, and it’s a pretty small squad out there.

“Counted up just 19 outfield players including Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, who are with the group and could well be in the squad tomorrow.”

Myles Lewis-Skelly ‘one of the most talented youngsters’ at Arsenal

Skelly has been in and around the Arsenal first team for a while now, training with the seniors time and time again.

Despite being just 17, the midfielder is already looking a cut above for the Gunners Under-21s. He has one goal and two assists from five Premier League 2 outings this term.

Last year, Arsenal youth team expert Jeorge Bird wrote on his website that Lewis-Skelly is ‘undoubtedly one of the most talented youngsters at the club and has much potential’.

Prior to Arsenal getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup, Highbury legend Ian Wright urged the Gunners to give Lewis-Skelly a chance in the competition.

Talking about the UEFA Youth League tie on Wrighty’s House in October, Wright said: “We’ve got a couple of really good young players.

“Myles Lewis-Skelly, he’s going. I think that he’s one of those they should give him a run in the League Cup. I’d like to see him.”

Lewis-Skelly looks like a top talent and there’s a good chance he’ll make the squad against Lens.

Everybody at the club feels Lewis-Skelly has a massive future ahead of him.

Even Jack Wilshere has raved about him in the past, calling him ‘unplayable’ (The Sun).

Admittedly, we may have to wait a little bit longer to see his Arsenal debut, perhaps in the FA Cup or at the end of the season.

However, Lewis-Skelly is a name to watch in the coming months and years for real.