Morning all.

Unconfirmed reports or should I say wicked rumours are going round suggesting that Aaron Ramsey has suffered a thigh strain and is set to have a scan today. Don’t shoot the messenger if this is wrong, I have only just seen the story which of course could be pure fabrication. Hopefully it is just that…

Nicklas Bendtner is on the verge of playing for Arsenal again and Arsene has sent out the right message to him. One to give him a boost ahead of tonight no doubt:

He has responded with a good attitude in training and with good, hard work. He had nearly gone somewhere else and in the end he stayed because it didn’t work out and we needed him here.

Now he can convince everybody. We are open minded, we believe in his qualities.

I personally believe in his qualities. It’s just down to attitude and fighting spirit. When he has that, Nicklas can be an unstoppable striker. He gets his chance. Our job is about that. Take your chance.

I see him as a centre-forward. He can use his body back to goal. He’s an intelligent player, he can play intelligent passes and protect.

He’s a similar type, size-wise, to Olivier Giroud. The central role is perfect for him.

I had a chuckle over those comments. I’m not 100% sure Arsene believes in his qualities otherwise Bendtner would not have been absent so long but he’s certainly got an attitude. Tonight though his attitude has to be right and I hope the the travelling fans get behind him…

Anyway, here’s Kev’s views on tonight:

So then, it’s here again. The good old League Cup and doesn’t time fly?

After the disappointment of last season and the debacle of a strong Arsenal XI being humiliated at Bradford, I suspect that Arsene Wenger may well return to his tried and tested policy in this competition. That is selecting a mixture of ‘Young Pretenders’ allied to a core of experienced players, either on the fringe of the first team or returning from injury…

That Wenger policy has, since 1996-97, seen a ‘shadow’ Arsenal team reach two League Cup Finals and four other Semi-Finals in 17 seasons… Not on the face of it a rip-roaring success, trophy wise but as a vehicle for blooding new players and giving our youngsters invaluable experience, it has been priceless…

Making up an experienced core and fitness permitting, I expect to see Arteta, Monreal, Vermaelen, Jenkinson, Bendtner and I had hoped Rosicky but he’s another week away from a return.

In goal Arsene may decide to give Fabianski a game, to keep him sharp or just maybe he’ll give Viviano his senior debut?

Supplementing the experienced pros would be senior reserves like Frimpong (if fit), Eisfeld, Park (remember him?), Miyaichi, Gnabry and Sanogo (if fit)…

That squad is already looking quite strong, and without including one player from the starting XI which faced Stoke RFU last Sunday…

Finally, and most important, in my view, will be those young players who are unknown to many, but who, by the end of the season could be as well known as Wilshere. Players like Akpom, Hayden, Olsson, Bellerin, new boy Ajayi, goalkeeper Iliev and maybe even Ormonde-Ottewill, all of whom have been involved at some time, in training sessions with the first team…

Arsene still has the leeway to put a couple more seniors on the bench as insurance if he feels the need but I personally believe that the above squad should be strong enough to progress past West Brom…

Arteta and Frimpong should be strong enough to deal with West Brom’s midfield  and with Gnabry and Miyaichi on the flanks, that looks to me quite a potent midfield.

Jenkinson, Vermaelen and Monreal and one of either Merts/Kos/Hayden, in front of Fabianski or Viviano, seems quite a strong defence…

Bendtner will have an opportunity to show how hard he’s been working recently, he could have anyone of three as a partner, Park, Sanogo (if fit) or maybe even Eisfeld…

The permutations are endless.

What do you all think?

Written by BrainwashedKev.