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Two Major Talking Points in Arsenal’s UEFA Champion’s League Club Selection

By Josh Sippie

By joshjdss (Arsenal Members' Day 2015) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By joshjdss (Arsenal Members' Day 2015) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons /
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With the group stages of the UEFA Champion’s League set to get started, Arsenal have released their A and B player lists. Most of the players included on either list are business as usual. The typical Arsenal senior squad all made the 25-man A-List.

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Meanwhile, youngsters Deyan Iliev, Hector Bellerin, Tafari Moore, Stefan O’Connor, Glen Kamara, Alex Iwobi and Chris Willock all made Arsenal’s B-List. The surprise there is obviously Hector Bellerin. Supposedly his age and experience still warrants B-List selection.

However, age and experience did not hinder another youngsters team selection, as Arsene Wenger has chosen Jeff Reine-Adelaide as an Arsenal A-teamer. The 17 year old is a recent arrival from Lens and had a shining preseason with the Gunners. While he has yet to make a first team appearance in competitive play, he may be given the chance in the group stages.

Watching Jeff Reine-Adelaide play in the preseason, even Wenger remarked at how special the kid was. Le Prof said that Reine-Adelaide did not play like a 17 year old should play. He was too composed on the ball to be 17 years old. However, the French wonderkid is indeed 17 and if this composure and competence gives us a hint of what we have going forward, we are in for a treat.

There is a reason why Reine-Adelaide was not loaned out. It is because Wenger has determined that he is already ready to make an impact on the first team.

The other talking point raised by the Champion’s League squad selection is the lack of Krystian Bielik. Arsene Wenger purchased Krystian Bielik after having two bids rejected and ended up spending near £3 million on the Polish wonderkid. He joined the club in January.

Also 17 years old, Bielik would have figured to be on at least one of the two lists of players. He is after all tagged to be the next Xavi or Nemanja Matic or (insert standout holding midfielder name). It is the slightest bit disconcerting that Bielik was not included on the roster, particularly given that Arsenal’s primary weak point is at defensive midfield, where Francis Coquelin is the only real threat.

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Bielik could have provided a viable option and given us a chance to see the £3 million Polish wonderkid.

What makes it more disconcerting is the fact that Bielik was not loaned out either. Typically Wenger will either loan out a youngster or let them play for Arsenal in the lesser competitions. Some of the Champion’s League group stage matches could count as ‘lesser competitions’ in the fact that we will see some nontraditional Gunners trod out onto the field. Unfortunatley, Bielik will not be one of them.

Maybe this is nothing to worry about. Maybe it is a sign that Bielik is not developing as quickly as Wenger thought he would. Either way, he is still only 17. There is time.

Next: Discussing Arsenal's Forthcoming 'Must-Win' Matches

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