Tuesday 23 September 2008

Arsenal v Sheff Utd: Preview

Arsenal look set to field a young side for Tuesday's Carling Cup tie with Sheffield United at the Emirates Stadium.

Wales Under-21 midfielder Aaron Ramsey, 16-year-old Jack Wilshere, reserve team captain Gavin Hoyte, Kieran Gibbs and first-year scholar Emmanuel Frimpong are all in contention against the Blades.

Alex Song, Johan Djourou and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski will provide the experience, along with Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner and Mexican Carlos Vela.

Arsene Wenger is ready to show just what the "new generation'' at Arsenal can do in the Carling Cup this season.

The Gunners currently sit top of the Barclays Premier League following a weekend that saw them win 3-1 at Bolton, while title rivals Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all dropped points.

However, following a hectic travel schedule that included a Champions League trip to Kiev, Wenger will give most of his first team a well-deserved rest tomorrow night when Coca-Cola Championship side Sheffield United are the visitors to Emirates Stadium.

Last season, a similar policy saw the Gunners reach the Carling Cup semi-finals, before they lost over two legs to arch-rivals Tottenham, who went on to win the competition at Wembley.

Wenger is set to adopt the same approach once more, and the Arsenal manager believes his young side will offer the fans a glimpse into the club's future.

"I am very excited because it is a new generation where the youngest boy is Wilshere, then there is (Mark) Randall, Gibbs and so on,'' said Wenger.

"I believe it is very interesting to see a new generation come through, which is a little bit helped by having more experienced players around them, even though they are also young.

"It is always an adventure of a young group together and they can give you a bit of a view of how life at Arsenal could be in three or five years' time.''

Wenger told Arsenal TV Online: "It is a good opportunity for us to go through and for us to give young players a chance to show how good they are.''

James Beattie is expected to start for Sheffield United despite not being 100% match fit.

Beattie, who underwent knee surgery in the summer, has started in the Blades' last two matches, but manager Kevin Blackwell has conceded the striker is struggling for full fitness.

But Blackwell, who agreed to the recent sale of Jon Stead to Ipswich, is without fellow forward Darius Henderson, who injured knee ligaments in training last week, and has been forced to call on Beattie.

The Blades will again be without suspended defender Sun Jihai and midfielder Matthew Spring (ankle).

Blackwell, who has rested several key players in rounds one and two of the competition, could again make changes, with Lee Hendrie, Keith Gillespie and Danny Webber all hoping to play bigger roles.

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