Arsenal staff have reportedly been impressed by 17-year-old academy player Lino Sousa, who could replace the injured Kieran Tierney.
Sousa joined the club from West Brom in January, and has played regularly for the Arsenal under 18’s and 23s.
According to Football.London, Sousa is starting to catch the eye of Mikel Arteta, and with him regularly showing faith in youngsters, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him give the 17-year-old a chance.
Tierney has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury, and backup full-back Nuno Tavares has failed to impress since joining the club.
Tavares was subbed against Crystal Palace after a poor performance, so Arteta could allow Sousa to train with the first-team in the coming weeks to see what he’s made of.
Sousa recently scored for Arsenal U23s against Manchester City, showing he can help out in attack, which is crucial to how Arsenal play.
When fit, Tomiyasu plays as a defensive right-back, tucking in and creating a back three, allowing Tierney to advance and join in attacks.