Having travelled with several of his under-21 squad to Dubai for our warm-weather training camp, Mehmet Ali believes it has been a strong learning experience for the youngsters to be in a close overseas working environment with the first-team coaches.
As well as this term’s breakout stars Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, goalkeepers Tommy Setford and Jack Porter are on the trip having made their Gunners debuts this season during our run to the League Cup semi-finals, while Josh Nichols, Ismeal Kabia and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji have also travelled having also played for Mikel Arteta’s first-team this term.
Another player with a taste of first-team experience is Charles Sagoe Jr and he was selected after spending the first half of the season on loan at Shrewsbury Town, while Max Dowman, Jack Henry-Francis and Michal Rosiak were also picked to head to the Gulf.