Mikel Arteta told to drop Charlie Patino after his difficult debut

Charlie Patino expected to make his debut against Tottenham Hotspur.

The teenager made his second appearance in the FA Cup third-round loss against Nottingham Forest last week.

His first appearance came against Sunderland in the quarter-final victory of the Carabao Cup where he scored on his debut.

With Granit Xhaka suspended and a number of first-team players currently on international duty, Arteta would likely deploy Patino alongside Lokonga at the heart of midfield.

“The lad Charlie Patino played the other day – I felt sorry for him,” Merson said on Sky Sports before the Liverpool game.

“If you’re going to make your debut for a big club like Arsenal you’ve got to be around top draw players, you can’t come into a team of bit-part players and people looking after their own job.

“You’ve got to be fair on the youngster. You’ve got to play him in a team where you’ve got experience around you. Even if it’s one experienced midfield player, like a Xhaka, who can talk to you through the game. I felt sorry for him and the younger lads in the team.”

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