Mikel Arteta hints he’ll play ‘unbelievable’ 24-year-old for Arsenal v West Ham

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted that Eddie Nketiah will feature for the Gunners in the Carabao Cup tonight.

The Arsenal boss says the 24-year-old Gunners striker is “in a really good moment” at present and reckons he’s “fresh”, suggesting he’ll play a part.

Arsenal will hope to make it three wins in a row and go unbeaten in five when they head to West Ham for their last-16 clash.

‘When players are like this they have to be used’

With Gabriel Jesus currently out on the sidelines, Nketiah has been tasked with leading the line for the Gunners.

Nketiah was outstanding in Saturday’s Premier League win over Sheffield United, bagging a hat-trick in a 5-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Arteta must now decide whether to start the England international against the Hammers or potentially rest him ahead of the weekend.

When asked by football.london what he wants to do, the Arsenal boss said: “Both.

“We have to be conscious with the amount of minutes they play because he’s started a lot of games in the Premier League.

“But in terms of how we have utilised him, I think he’s fresh, he’s in a really good moment.

“When players are like this they have to be used – whether that’s from the start or from the bench, we will see.”

Arsenal could look to protect Nketiah with a view to Newcastle clash – TBR View

Arteta must decide how to manage his players over the coming days, as Arsenal have two tricky away fixtures in quick succession.

He certainly has a tough decision on his hands. It would be great to see Nketiah get another start under his belt and another chance to impress, but at the same time, he needs to be protected for Newcastle.

With that in mind, I predict that the ‘unbelievable’ forward will start on the bench and perhaps get a runout later on in the game.