Arsenal manager, Unai Emery, has named a host of academy players in his squad to face Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League on Thursday.
First-team players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil and Lucas Torreira have not travelled to Ukraine.
Instead, the more unfamiliar names of Charlie Gilmour, Zech Medley and Dejan Iliev have taken their place.
Senior players such as Petr Cech and Aaron Ramsey have made the trip, but nine outfield members of Freddie Ljungberg’s Under-23s have also travelled to Ukraine.
Charlie Gilmour, Eddie Nketiah, Tyreece John-Jules, Zech Medley, Emile Smith-Rowe, Joe Willock, Jordi Osei-Tutu, Bukayo Saka and Dominic Thompson were all on the plane which left from Luton airport heading for Kiev on Wednesday afternoon.
The game has been moved by Uefa from Poltava to Kiev because of security concerns in Ukraine.
Arsenal, who have already qualified for the last 32, will clinch top spot in Group E with a victory.
Emery’s men play Tottenham at home on Sunday and Manchester United away next Wednesday in the Premier League and Emery wants his squad in top condition for those two fixtures.
Comments