Some Arsenal fans want 22-year-old to start FA Cup final, fear ‘disaster’ otherwise

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A number of Arsenal fans have urged the Gunners to start Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the FA Cup final ahead of Hector Bellerin.

The 22-year-old came through the ranks at Arsenal and has made 99 competitive senior appearances for the Gunners, including 31 this season.

Maitland-Niles made his first-team breakthrough under Arsene Wenger and though he emerged in the academy as a midfielder, he’s mainly been used as a right-back.

He got plenty of game time under Unai Emery but his first-team minutes dried up under Mikel Arteta this year after Bellerin returned from injury.

The Spanish right-back was left out of the squad in the Premier League finale against Watford as a precaution due to tightness in his right calf, and Arteta picked Maitland-Niles ahead of Cedric Soares.

Bellerin has now resumed training with the squad and, as the first-choice right-back looks likely to start against Chelsea on Saturday, with Maitland-Niles potentially having to make do with a spot on the bench.

However, some Arsenal fans would rather see their homegrown talent take to the Wembley pitch from the start, and made their feelings known on social media: