Exciting Arsenal youngster set for senior debut vs Sunderland

Arsenal are preparing for their Carabao Cup quarter-final tie with Sunderland on Tuesday and Mikel Arteta’s side have been handed a welcome opportunity to book their place in the last four.

Sunderland at home was the best draw any side could have hoped for: they’re the only team left remaining in the competition who aren’t in the Premier League, currently sitting third in League One.

Amid a grueling festive fixture schedule where Arsenal play on average every 3.5 days across December, having the opportunity to rest a large number of first team regulars is an opportunity that the manager won’t turn down.

While no tie should ever be seen as a walkover, the odds are firmly stacked in the Gunners’ favour to secure their passage into the semi-finals.

Exciting Arsenal youngster Charlie Patino set for senior debut against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday

With heavy rotation expected, some of the senior crop will nonetheless miss out. Sambi Lokonga and Pablo Mari have both tested positive for COVID-19 and will be isolating.

That means a shuffle in midfield is expected, with there bein some uncertainty around Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ potential involvement. Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka have played a lot of minutes recently which would normally open the door for the 24-year-old, yet he was not included in the squad that beat Leeds 4-1, nor has he been pictured in training.

Not featuring in training images isn’t confirmation that he didn’t take part, but coupled with his non-involvement at Elland Road suggests there is an injury issue, or something else, keeping him out of the team.

Even with that uncertainty, the Mirror report that Arsenal are finally set to hand him 18-year-old Charlie Patino first taste of senior football against the Black Cats as Arteta shuffles his pack against the third tier side. While unconfirmed, the situation around Maitland-Niles may be playing a part.

This isn’t the first time Patino has been tipped to feature in the Carabao Cup, with many reports stating he was due to be included against AFC Wimbledon, only for the squad announcement to quash those claims.

So, again, this could be conjecture, or pure guessing, but he does have a very decent chance, among other Under-23 stars who’ve been training with the group in the last few days, of making the squad at least.

If not, there is always the FA Cup. And, not to mention, the many, many, many more years of football Patino and the others will play.