Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta should consider starting a 17-year-old in Tuesday's Champions League clash with Slavia Prague due to the Declan Rice suspension risk, expert Charles Watts has told Sports Mole.
The Gunners tackle their Czech foes tonight aiming to make it four from four in the 2025-26 Champions League, where they can also match a 56-year-old English football record set by Leeds United with another victory and clean sheet.
Arteta is already without Martin Zubimendi owing to his yellow-card ban, though, and Rice is just one caution away from a suspension, which he would serve against Bayern Munich on matchday five if he enters the referee's book this evening.
As a result, Watts has expressed his view that Arsenal would be better served starting Andre Harriman-Annous up front in place of the injured Viktor Gyokeres, and Mikel Merino - who is currently the Gunners' emergency centre-forward - in place of Rice in midfield.
However, he has admitted that such a scenario is unlikely, saying: "It's really difficult to predict how he's going to line the team up – there are question marks over a few players. Declan Rice, one yellow card away from a suspension - do you risk him and then miss him against Bayern Munich or leave him out altogether?
Mikel Arteta told to drop Declan Rice for Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal
Charles Watts YouTube image
“But with no Zubimendi, can you really do that? Merino up front? Could you play Harriman-Annous up front and play Merino back where Declan Rice plays? There's different things for him to ponder going into this one. But it's going to be a tricky game. They haven't lost at home for a fair while. They're always strong there - the atmosphere is going to be good.
“It’s an important game for Arsenal. You don't want to be dropping points ahead of Bayern Munich. You want to get to that Bayern Munich game in as strong a position as possible. I do think it's an important game. I think he'll go strong.
“Personally, I'd play Harriman-Annous in this game, I'd play Merino and I would not play Declan Rice. But I don't think Mikel is going to do that. I think we'll see Merino up front and Rice playing."
Christian Norgaard is expected to start in the Zubimendi role at the base of the midfield in Prague, where Arteta will also be missing captain Martin Odegaard as the Norway international recuperates from October's knee injury.
Eberechi Eze has filled the Odegaard void in recent matches, starting each of Arsenal's last five Premier League games and their 2-0 EFL Cup fourth-round win over Brighton & Hove Albion, where he was the only survivor of the XI that started against Crystal Palace a few days before.
Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal: Eberechi Eze or Ethan Nwaneri?
Eberechi Eze of Arsenal celebrates scoring against Port Vale on September 24, 2025
Arteta also has the option of introducing Ethan Nwaneri into the right of the midfield trident, and Watts has backed the 18-year-old to belatedly make his first Champions League start of the season on Tuesday night.
“I don't think you can play Eze in this game," he added. "He’ll start at Sunderland at the weekend - if he starts tonight and then starts at Sunderland, that's five starts in 14 days. I just don't see that happening. I think he'll get a rest. I think Nwaneri will come in today.
Asked if he would like to see a Nwaneri-Rice-Eze midfield, Watts replied: "Would I like to see that? Yes, at some point - Rice as a six and those two ahead. It's definitely an option if you want to be a little bit more attacking.
“It's one of those lineup suggestions that on paper looks great, and then when you see it, maybe it ends up being a little bit imbalanced and a little bit easy to play through.
“So you'd have to pick and choose the right opposition to play like that. But it would be certainly an interesting one to see. I'm just not sure tonight's the way to go.”
Arsenal are squaring up to a Slavia Prague side who are yet to win in this season's Champions League, but Jindrich Trpisovsky's side held Atalanta BC to a goalless draw on matchday three and have kept five clean sheets in their last five matches in all competitions.
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