By FRANCO PANIZO
U.S. Men’s National Team fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Arsenal prospect Gedion Zelalem might get that opportunity this weekend.
Zelalem was included in the 20-man roster that the Gunners named for Saturday’s high-profile friendly against the New York Red Bulls. The 17-year-old midfielder appears to have a decent chance at seeing some minutes in Arsenal’s preseason game at Red Bull Arena, as marquee players like Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and recently-acquired Alexis Sanchez are not in the squad.
Arsenal’s roster might be missing some star power, but still boasts plenty of quality. Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla, Kieran Gibbs, Wojciech Szcsesny, and Mathieu Flamini have all been included in the squad that will play in the Gunners’ first game in the United States in 25 years.
Plenty of eyeballs will be on Red Bulls strikers Thierry Henry as he faces his former club, but many of observers will also be hoping to see Zelalem in action after seeing him make his first-team debut with Arsenal back in January in an FA Cup win against Coventry City.
Born in Germany to parents of Ethiopian descent, Zelalem is a highly-coveted target of U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. The youngster, who signed a first-team contract this past March, might eligible to represent the United States in the near future if his father obtains U.S. citizenship.
Here is the full 20-man Arsenal roster for the upcoming friendly vs. the Red Bulls:
Goalkeepers (2): Damien Martinez, Wojciech Szczesny
Defenders (6): Hector Bellerin, Kieran Gibbs, Isaac Hayden, Carl Jenkinson, Ignasi Miquel, Nacho Monreal
Midfielders (11): Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin, Abou Diaby, Mathieu Flamini, Kristoffer Olsson, Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky, Jon Toral, Jack Wilshire, Gedion Zelalem
Forward (1): Chuba Akpom
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What do you think of Arsenal’s 20-man roster for the Red Bulls friendly? Expecting Zelalem to get a good run-out? Eager to see him in action?
Share your thoughts below.