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Arsenal: Summer signing Mika Biereth tipped for first-team debut amid injury problems
Teenage Arsenal striker Mika Biereth has been tipped to finally feature for the first-team as Mikel Arteta’s squad deals with injury issues.
With Alexandre Lacazette doubtful for the trip to Southampton tomorrow (15 April) Jeorge Bird reported that the young Dane had been called up to first team training in anticipation.
The manager wasn’t giving much away on the status of the senior French forward, saying (via The Mirror): “We will see if he’s available”.
Arsenal wonderkid Mika Biereth is on standby amid Alexandre Lacazette worry.#AFChttps://t.co/i8deCZN9eE
— football.london (@Football_LDN) April 15, 2022
The 19-year-old was signed from Fulham last year after 21 goals in the league for the West Londoners’ under-18 side, but despite being on the bench five times for The Gunners this year, has yet to see any first-team action.
He hasn’t let that stop him netting 10 times in Premier League 2, including a brace as he captained the under-23s to a 3-3 draw against Manchester City in his last outing (4 April).
That looks like it may have been enough to get his senior side boss’ attention.
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False alarm
He likely won’t be getting ahead of himself though, as The Metro was suggesting that he was in line for a first-team appearance as long ago as November, as he was similarly brought into the senior training squad, but no minutes on the pitch followed.
Youth players have had a chance to develop into key members of the squad at the Emirates in recent years, with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe now central characters.
The emergence of the pair was cited when they signed Biereth, as the Norwegian recently told The Athletic, saying:“Arsenal had strikers but they sat me down and showed me if I come in and perform well there’s a clear pathway.
“Mikel Arteta likes the striker to play in the No 10 pocket.”
Great @ArtdeRoche interview with Mika Biereth, which touches on what Arsenal ask from their centre-forwards.@TheAthleticUKhttps://t.co/veqnhzPU5l
— gunnerblog (@gunnerblog) April 7, 2022
“Maybe not with strikers as much, but with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, if you play well you get in the squad. That’s all I’ve got to do.”
With the man at the top of the forwards list at the time, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang now in Barcelona, and understudy Lacazette likely out of action, the youngster may be excused with feeling impatient if his opportunity does not come soon.