By Xinhua
London : Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will field the club’s young players in the Carling Cup against Newcastle United Tuesday.
Wenger’s side has enjoyed a superb unbeaten start to the season and sit top of the English Premier League thanks to the effervescent displays of Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie and company.
It is unlikely many of Wenger’s first choice players will feature against Newcastle at Emirates Stadium as he has traditionally used the competition as a chance to blood his most promising starlets.
Wenger is reaping the rewards of that policy as the youth academy graduates who have earned their stripes in the least regarded of England’s domestic competitions now form the spine of his side.
So the spotlight will fall on Nicklas Bendtner, Theo Walcott, Armand Traore, Kieran Gibbs when Sam Allardyce’s side visit for the third round tie.
Wenger, whose team lost last year’s final to Chelsea, loves the chance to show off the latest gem he has unearthed, so Newcastle can expect a tough time, even if they may not recognise half the names on the Arsenal team sheet.
Allardyce would love a run in any competition as he tries to end Newcastle’s long barren run without a major trophy.
Elsewhere, Rafa Benitez is likely to follow in Wenger’s footsteps and field a much-changed Liverpool team at Reading.