Arsene Wenger is set to ring the changes for Arsenal’s EFL Cup third-round clash at Nottingham Forest, with youngsters Chris Willock, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Chuba Akpom pushing to be included in the matchday squad.
Gunners boss Wenger has a habit of blooding academy graduates in the competition but he is expected to select a mixture of youth and experience at the City Ground tomorrow night.
Willock, Reine-Adelaide and Akpom are considered the most promising talents and are set to make the trip while Krystian Bielik is another contender following his £2.4million move from Legia Warsaw in January last year.
Kieran Gibbs, David Ospina and Rob Holding are among the more established players expected to feature with Wenger likely to rest the majority of those involved in Saturday’s 4-1 win at Hull.
Alexis Sanchez scored twice as Arsenal recorded their biggest win of the season to date and Wenger believes the players have put their opening day defeat to Liverpool firmly behind them now.
“It can help our confidence because we had a shocking start,” he said. “Now I think we are over it psychologically and hopefully we can build on that.”
Arsenal were comprehensively beaten in the League Cup in the fourth round last season against Championship opposition — losing 3-0 at Sheffield Wednesday — and a sell-out crowd is anticipated hoping for another upset.
In Pictures: Hull City vs Arsenal
Forest lost 2-1 at home to Norwich on Saturday and could start with former Arsenal duo Nicklas Bendtner and Henri Lansbury after the pair were restricted to cameo roles off the bench last weekend.
Arsenal have picked up seven points from three games on the road this season, also winning 3-1 at Watford and drawing 0-0 at champions Leicester and Wenger added: “Away from home we look more convincing, at the moment, than at home.”
