Arsene Wenger has announced his 18 man squad for the Capital One Cup match against Reading later tonight.

The squad is predictably filled with a lot of youth players looking for their chance to shine in the Arsenal first team. Arsene Wenger has always relied on the League Cup as a chance to push his talented youngsters into the limelight, but has also taken the chance to make sure some of his other more experienced players are there to balance the team.

Reliance on Youth

The two young Germans, Thomas Eisfeld and Serge Gnabry, have been revelations so far this season with the latter making his Champions League debut against Schalke last week.

Emmanuel Frimpong is another man looking to stake his place in the first team squad and after a series of bad injuries limited his progress. There have been rumours going around about a possible loan move for the young man of Ghanaian decent, so this game could be a chance to prove himself to potential suitors.

Experience will lead the way

Along with the usual young suspects, the squad also includes some more senior players that will help bolster the squad.

People like Laurent Koscielny will look to increase his stock in Arsene’s mind after being resigned to a bench role so far this season.

Marouane Chamakh and Andrey Arshavin will also be looking to put in a good performance. Both players have seen very limited action for the first team and need some confidence if they intend to get back into the first team fray.

Another man looking for some confidence is Theo Walcott. Theo is still recovering from the lung injury that he sustained on international duty with England and needs some game time to make sure he’s at full fitness.

Olivier Giroud, perhaps a surprise inclusion for some, is another man with first team experience and got off the mark with his first goal for Arsenal in the previous round of the COC.

The importance of the Cup

All in all, this is a team with the right mix of experience and youth and should be able to dispatch a Reading team that finds itself in the Premier League relegation zone. Even with the big game next week at Manchester United, Arsene will know that this competition is important for the team.

Even though Arsenal have always used this competition as a platform for the younger players, it is still viewed as a potential chance for silverware. I expect the players and Arsene to take it seriously and deliver a good result.

The full 18 man squad

James Shea (GK), Damian Martinez (GK),  Laurent Koscielny, Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Sebastien Squillaci, Johan Djourou, Francis Coquelin, Andrey Arshavin, Carl Jenkinson, Emmanuel Frimpong, Marouane Chamakh, Hector Bellerin, Thomas Eisfeld, Serge Gnabry, Jernade Meade, Ignasi Miquel, Nico Yennaris

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