How Arsenal could line up against Newcastle in Carabao Cup semi-final tonight after Mikel Arteta admitted only EIGHT players trained – and a 15-year-old star could feature on the bench

Arsenal host Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie on Tuesday night and Mikel Arteta must contend with various injury issues.

The Spaniard admitted that only eight first-team players reported for training on Monday morning after a spate of injuries and a virus hit the squad. 

Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard are both doubts with that illness while Arsenal 17-year-old sensation Ethan Nwaneri, who scored against Brighton on Saturday, is out injured for the rest of the month.

There will be no sign of Bukayo Saka, Ben White, Raheem Sterling, or Takehiro Tomiyasu as their injury problems persist. He will also have an eye on Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Manchester United. 

It means Arteta could be compelled to hand an opportunity to a young star – perhaps 15-year-old midfielder Max Dowman, who has already been training with the first team. 

With that in mind, Mail Sport assesses how the Gunners could line up. 

Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz are both doubts with illness going into the Emirates affair

The loss of Ethan Nwaneri to injury over the weekend has limited Arteta’s options further, with only eight first-team starts training on Monday  

David Raya is likely to get the nod in goal and there is no obvious reason why he wouldn’t. 

Arteta handed 16-year-old Jack Porter and Tommy Setford, 18, starts against Bolton and Preston in the earliest rounds but restored Raya to the team for the quarter-final against Crystal Palace and would surely keep him for such a big clash.

Jurrien Timber is back from suspension, having missed the weekend’s 1-1 draw with Brighton, and is likely to start feeling fresh. 

At centre-back, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are both available, but they have not played together so far in the EFL Cup this season. 

Arteta has started Jakub Kiwior at left centre-half in all three of their assignments in the competition this season, while he has also opted for Timber at right centre-back and deployed Thomas Partey at right-back.

He has the full range of stars to pick from at left-back: Riccardo Calafiori, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Kieran Tierney. 

Calafiori has already started twice in the last week, so it feels unlikely that he would be deployed again. Arteta is more likely to turn to Lewis-Skelly, Zinchenko, or Tierney. 

In midfield, Jorginho has been Arteta’s go-to man at number six and is fresh to continue in that vein, perhaps continuing to captain the side as he did at the weekend. 

Jurrien Timber is back from suspension and will likely start at right-back, perhaps left-back

Arteta has turned to Jakub Kiwior at left centre-back at every Carabao Cup game this season

A pairing higher up of Declan Rice and Mikel Merino would give Arteta a strong midfield to go toe-to-toe with Eddie Howe’s men. 

Odegaard was introduced off the bench for the final third of the trip to Brighton on Saturday, but it remains unclear how fit he is and Arteta may not want to risk him from the start against the Magpies.  

With Saka and Nwaneri out, and Havertz a doubt, Arteta has less options to pick from than he would like up top.

Gabriel Martinelli looks set to come in on the right wing, while Gabriel Jesus is the go-to option as a striker, and Leandro Trossard can continue on the left flank. 

Several youngsters have had opportunities in the line-up or on the bench for the Gunners in the cup this campaign and you’d expect the same tonight.

Defenders Maldini Kacurri and Ayden Heaven have featured of the bench.

Most excitingly, the Newcastle clash could present a chance for Arteta to throw 15-year-old attacking midfielder Dowman on the bench.

Were he to play, he would surpass Nwaneri as Arsenal’s youngest-ever player, having only turned 15 on December 31. 

It will be interesting to see if Arteta turns to 15-year-old Max Dowman, even if as a substitute

In the Arsenal Under 19 UEFA Youth League matches this season, playing against the Gunners’ Champions League opponents, he has often been the team’s star player, despite being from multiple age groups below.

He recently became the youngest player ever to feature for Arsenal at Under 21 level or equivalent after coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw with Brighton.

Mail Sport understands that multiple Premier League academies have approached Dowman’s father to register their interest his son.

Arteta may want to show Dowman a glimmer of light and a taste of first-team football, or at least a place on the bench, especially considering the competitin in his position that usually exists. 

Mail Sport’s predicted XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Merino, Jorginho, Rice; Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard