Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to react after hearing what Mikel Arteta had to say about Charlie Patino after full-time last night.
What’s the story?
Well, plenty of Arsenal fans were left disappointed when Patino wasn’t even named on the bench last night.
Many had expected to see the 17-year-old wonderkid make his debut against Wimbledon, but Mikel Arteta had other ideas.
The Evening Standard quote him as saying: “He was very close [to being involved tonight] but at the end we decided some players needed some minutes. It will happen, naturally, with time. We will prepare him.”
That’s fair enough, in our view.
Yes, it would’ve been nice to see Patino play, and against League One opposition, it would’ve been a good game to ease him in.
However, Arteta claims some first-team players needed more minutes under their belt for fitness, and you can’t really argue with that.
When might Arsenal next get a chance to play Charlie Patino?
Arsenal face Leeds in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, which is surely going to be a tough encounter at the Emirates Stadium.
We can’t see Arteta using Patino in that game, nor can we envisage him getting any Premier League action anytime soon.
Only if Arsenal are cruising, and Patino is on the bench, do we think Arteta will throw him on for a senior debut.
The FA Cup doesn’t start until January for the Gunners, but if Arsenal are drawn against a lower league side, that’s when we think Patino will be given a start.
Arsenal fans may be desperate to see the teenager play, but we’d trust Arteta on this one.
After all, his work with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe has been excellent, so he clearly knows how to deal with young prospects.
For now, let’s see what the Arsenal fans on Twitter have been saying about Arteta’s comments…
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