Reserves to take on Pompey at Underhill tonight

Having beaten Fulham Reserves last week, tonight Arsenal have the difficult task of overcoming Portsmouth with an even younger Reserve team than last week, and while still being without the likes of Rhys Murphy, Henri Lansbury, Gavin Hoyte and Fran Merida who are still in Korea for the U17 World Cup.

From last weeks team, all the players with first team experience bar Kieran Gibbs have dropped out, with Mark Randall, Bendtner, Armand Traore and Jay Simpson being replaced by Rui Fonte, Vincent van den Berg, Jay Thomas and Rene Steer. In other team news the bench is occupied by four 16 year olds and one 17 year old goalkeeper, as summer signing Gilles Sunu and England U16 International Thomas Cruise get their first berth on the bench for the Gunners second string.

The Team (Predicted formation):

------------------------ Mannone ----------------------

Ogogo --- Nordtveit (c) -------- Rodgers ----- Steer

------------------------ Thomas -----------------------

Dunne --------------- Barazite ----------------- Gibbs

--------- Fonte ------------------- van den Berg ------

Substitutes:

Wojciech Szczesny
Thomas Cruise
Craig Eastmond
Sanchez Watt
Gilles Sunu

In other Reserve news, new Gunners reserve captain and summer signing Havard Nordtveit, the Norweigian U17 International defender, has expressed his feelings when he was told he was to be Reserve captain for this season.

"It was a real honour to be captain," Nordtveit told Arsenal.com. "I got the message from Neil [Banfield] last week. I was a little bit shocked but I’ve been captain of the national team so it was OK. I know now I must work to keep the captaincy and hopefully I’ll continue to be captain this season, and, if I’m lucky, next season too. But we take each day as it comes and go match by match, so we’ll see."

I've got to admit, I really like what I've heard from Nordtveit thus far, he realy seems down to earth and has a real understanding if what it takes to make it at a club, and I hope that he can make it here. And he really does appear to be settling into the side very well, having impressed on his debut last week, although Nordtveit himself can see areas where he will need to improve.

"I’m very pleased to have made my debut," he said. "I’m still getting used to English football though. It’s much harder, the ball goes quicker and I feel I still need to get used to the tempo. "The group are very kind with me. When I came here they took care of me and everybody talked to me. I’m enjoying playing the Arsenal way every day and I know it’s going to be fun playing for Arsenal."