Martin Keown has concerns that an England call-up for Ethan Nwaneri could cause more fatigue problems for the Arsenal youngster.
Nwaneri has been on the fringes of Mikel Arteta’s side for several seasons but was parachuted into the starting XI as the Gunners faced an injury crisis in their forward line.
The 17-year-old has impressed on the right wing in place of the injured Bukayo Saka, scoring four goals in all competitions since the turn of the year.
And such performances have seen the teenager tipped as a potential call-up to Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad which will be announced later this week.
Keown, however, has pleaded with the German to not throw Nwaneri straight into the firing line and said the midfielder is quite clearly in need of a break given his increased workload in recent weeks.
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‘There’s a chance [Nwaneri] may make the international team. That’s a concern, that’s a worry,’ the former Arsenal centre-back told The Sun.
‘You take it if it comes but if it doesn’t, then he gets a nice bit of time with the manager, resting up between games so there’s a balance.
‘It does one thing for confidence but another for the body. When you’re 17, you’re not even fully developed in terms of your cardiovascular system. You’re not really a man yet.
‘There’s still some growing to do, and recently he has looked tired, like he was blowing, and this is normal for a 17-year-old kid.’
Myles Lewis-Skelly is another Arsenal academy graduate who could receive a call-up given injuries to Luke Shaw and Lewis Hall at left-back.
But unlike Nwaneri, Keown reckons that the Lewis-Skelly would be ready for his first senior call-up if afforded the opportunity by Tuchel.
‘He’s had some issues, but in terms of physicality, he’s ready to go,’ Keown added. ‘He looks like he could play and there’s a problem at left-back for England.
‘He’s different [to Nwaneri], more developed. I wouldn’t say he’s a freak of nature, but when you see the strength in him, he is all about power.
‘So he is not going to want to be denied the opportunity to play for England.’
Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn, meanwhile, believes that both Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly will impress Tuchel if given a chance in England training.
‘It might be a bit early but then we have seen under (Gareth) Southgate and (Lee) Carsley that they will bring in younger players at an early stage, just to watch how they react around the senior team,’ Winterburn told Metro.
‘I can tell you for sure, if Tuchel puts those two guys in the squad then he will be impressed by what he sees. They won’t let him down. They’re huge tablets even at a very, very young age.’
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