Arsenal’s under-21s take on their West Bromwich Albion counterparts this week.
Arsenal under-21 starting XI: Macey, Pleguezuelo, O’Connor, Dobson, Ormonde-Ottewill, Kamara, Bielik, Iwobi, Crowley, Zelalem, Mavididi
Arsenal under-21 subs: Iliev, Smith, Robinson, Bola, Eyoma
Arsenal’s under-21s take on their West Bromwich Albion counterparts this afternoon and there are some interesting names on the team-sheet for the Gunners.
Krystian Bielik – the £2million January signing from Polish side Legia Warsaw – starts as does Gedion Zelalem and Dan Crowley.
Bielik was one of two recent additions to Arsenal’s squad, along with Brazilian centre-back Gabriel Paulista. But such is his age that he was always going to have to make do with appearances with the younger players in his debut campaign.
That said, Bielik has already been promoted from the under-18s to the under-21s, for whom the 17-year-old has made five appearances to date, with some in central midfield and others in a centre-back role.
This versatility stands him in good stead for his senior Arsenal career, which could start as early as next season if he impresses in the summer.
But for now, his job is to play his part for the under-21s, and from there, who knows?
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