[ad_pod ]

Arsenal are back in Europa League action this week as they take on Portuguese outfit Sporting at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners will be looking to stretch their current unbeaten run to 15 matches in all competitions on Thursday night.

However, Unai Emery will likely see this as an opportunity to rotate his squad somewhat. The likes of Mohamed Elneny, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Petr Cech will almost certainly feature in the starting XI.

It will also be an opportunity for some of the north London outfit’s most promising young stars to get some first team involvement too. Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah will both be hoping to feature whilst Julio Pleguezuelo could also be in contention for a place in the team.

Pleguezuelo made his senior debut for the Gunners this season against Blackpool in the EFL Cup. The 21-year-old Spaniard impressed and could now be ready for further first team action, especially with more experienced centre-backs such as Laurent Koscielny, Sokratis and Konstantinos Mavropanos all short of fitness.

[brid autoplay="true" video="327140" player="12034" title="Rafa's Pub Facts Leicester Trump Man City Chelsea & Liverpool"]

Emery would be wise to give Pleguezuelo another run out and Thursday night’s clash with Sporting represents an excellent opportunity for him to test his squad’s depth.

What do you think, Arsenal fans - should the young defender get the nod from the off?