Young Gedion Zelalem has revealed he’s back training with the first team as he looks to make his professional debut against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup next Tuesday.
The Germanic Abyssinian (copyright @arseblog), who impressed during the pre-season tour of the Far East, missed Arsenal’s third round penalty shootout victory over West Bromwich Albion with a knee injury but has been back training at London Colney for ten days after six weeks on the sidelines.
Taking to Twitter this afternoon the 16-year-old excitedly remarked: “Nice to be back with the first team again!”
It remains to be seen whether Zelalem is included in the squad to take on Jose Mourinho’s Blues. Most likely he’ll be on the bench with a few of the younger guys who made their mark at the Hawthorns.
Zelalem will be 16 years, 9 months, 3 days when Chelsea visit the Emirates next week meaning he’d be the second youngest ever player, after Jack Wilshere, to play for the club.
It would be a great achievement for the teenager if he did get playing time, but not uncharted territory for other members of the current squad; the likes of Chuba Akpom, Nicklas Bendtner, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Francis Coquelin and Serge Gnabry all made debuts at 17.
Gedion ‘Cesc’ Zelalem!
Gedion “Gedion Zelalem” Zelalem.
Gedion ‘Jedi’ Zelalem ?
Gedion ‘ArmaGedion’ Zelalem
Giddyup mother fuckers!
Wondering why this comment got so many dislikes. Cesc isnt a bad figure. Neither Gedion is. Was it a sin comparing both?
Good thing about Zelalem’s nomadic background is that we won’t be losing him to his boyhood team in his prime. DC United dna? I think not.
He quit us at the prime of his career and faked an injury until he was moved.
Faked an injury? Behave yourself.
Possibly because it’s over-hyping a young player who, if he has a bad game, will be criticised for not being as good as Cesc.
Arguably, Coquelin is not part of the current squad – he’s out on season loan.
Cant wait to see Chubby Atkins in action
gettin all Geddy now. HEH.
I wish I was named ‘Chuba’
Is that so Chuba Gooner?
should be an interesting game on tuesday. chelsea will play a side that’d finish top four in any event so whoever we play it’ll be a real test. and it’d be brilliant to see mourhino pouting sulkily, complaining about how arsenal cheat by scoring etc etc
Just to spite Maureen and the Chavs Wenger should play his strongest possible side. The one team I hate more than any other (even Spurs) is Chelsea. Those cunts absolutely must not be allowed to win at the Grove.
The League Cup is probably our best chance of winning silverware this season, so we should really go for it. This is no time for playing kids or shit like Bendtner. Let’s play a strong side and see off those blue wankers.
I agree about beating chelsea but can’t help but feel that you should maybe check out the league table – specifically, to see who sits on top. The league title is a two horse race between us and chelsea (three horses if you’re generous and include the beffudled Spaniard’s Citeh side, but really? I don’t think so. Pellegrini is mad as a fucking lorry) and we’re ahead of them, and Mourinho’s natural defensiveness means that they’ll draw more games than they win away from home whereas the arsenal will win more games and garner more points. of course you’re entitled… Read more »
we’ve not played 10matches and Its already a two horse race? Really, i say we field a strong side against chelsea. A win really is needed ahead of some tough fixtures and Its good for the moral
Wake up and smell the coffee, Sam! We’re flying high at the moment but it probably won’t last. Man City will win the League because they have the best squad of players; yes Pelligrini is an average manager, but to be honest my cat could manage City to the title. And Chelsea will probably be runners-up for the same reason.
We’ve had a great start but third place is our most likely finishing position. And that’s why we should go all out to win either the League or FA Cup.
Are you saying your cat is better than me? Is your cat available for employment as part of my backroom staff?
City will find it difficult to keep their strikers motivated. Already Dzeko has fallen in form, Jovetic looks next. One or two key midfield injuries eg. with Toure or Silva will cause problems
the strongest side for the most worthless of competitions just cause its chelsea? good thing we have professionals at the club to not make decissions based on emotion.
fatgooner you are a loser.
stick your worthless fa and cc where the sun dont shine
Is yer cat fat?
Gedion is gonna bible bash Mourinho
err, um in his hotel
Mate, that is awful.
I know… but there is no way of deleting
Cesc Fabregas is the youngest player to play for Arsenal, not Wilshere
Technically he’s right. Fabregas made his debut at the age of 16 years and 177 days in the League Cup third round in 2003 while Wilshere made his premier league debut at 16 years and 256 days in 2008.
Did you know that before Fabregas, the record holder was Jermaine Pennant.
Yo Mark, have you apologised to Wenger for being a cunt in your City days or are you still a cunt?
I’m a cunt with more money than you after all my pay offs. HA! I didn’t really think I’d win with City but I saw the £££’s and that was it.
Arsene still should have shaken my hand…..
I’m giving Aamir props for the sheer gall of this.
Lookin forward to dissect the Chelsea defense…
Germanic Abyssinian with a Maryland (USA) accent.
I like that ABYSSINIAN…Yeah he is!!!!….Hope we will see him with Waliyia Antelopes’s shirt….OMG can’t wait. God bless u Gedi!
He is a masterpiece.
he’ll get a goal on debut, if not he will set up a goal for bendtner’s goatie
I sincerely hope the lad settles on the bench. I expect a much stronger squad vs Chelsea than the squad vs Crystal Palace. I mean a mix of experience and youth. Verm, Monreal, Jenk, Viviano or Fabianski, and Bedtner should all feature on saturday IMHO.
The League is always more important than an early round cup match regardless of who you’re playing.
Hopefully, Abyssinia at the game on Tuesday night then, young Gedion…
Ah suit yaselves then..
GK Viviano LB Monreal RB Jenkinson CB Vermaelen CB Sagna DM ? CM Zelalem CAM Rosicky LW Cazorla RW Gnabry ST Bendtner
I dont mean to be nagative here but are we getting carried away? I agree with the guy who said we should field a weaker team compared to that which should face chelsea.. Like you rightly pointed out we are competing with chelsea in the league and losing our first meeting with them regardless of the importance of the match will have a psychological effect for the rest of the season, besides we are not currently regular trophy winners so we should’nt ignore probably our best chance of silverwear all in the name of the league is our top priority.… Read more »
What would have a bigger psychological effect playing our regulars and losing or playing our subs and reserves and losing? if youre worried about the effect then losing with our reserves would be much better than losing with our regulars. Considering how thin our squad is to begin with and our propensity to pick up injuries, it just makes absolutely zero sense to put out a strong eleven this early in the COC regardless of who the competition is. And the squad that we put won’t be necessarily a weak one: We’ll have an international level GK, at least one… Read more »
*its not as if we have a history of playing poorly
Let’s Gedion!
come on come on come on…
New haven gunner…is there a plae where they show arsenal games in NH…christy’s?
Yes! That’s the place.
our best chance of silverware?
we’ve only managed to win the league cup twice in our history.
The FA cup is more likely.
And the premier league.
I was just watching Youtube compilation of this kid.. Amazing! He is going to be super star in Arsenal!
I hope that Zelalem puts on lots of weight and then goes on a diet.
Then he’d be the thin agin Abyssinian…
Taxi!
Did some one mentioned Gideon’s background to be Nomadic? Shame on you man! He is an Ethiopian and you should Know few things about Ethiopia! It is the only country which was not colonized by the Europeans. We went to war to defend our country defeated the Italians! We are one of the great ancient civilizations among Ancient China and Mesopotamia! We are the origin of man kind in that the oldest skeleton(Lucy or Dinkinesh) of the oldest person to ever lived on the planet is discovered in Ethiopia. We have our own calendar with 13 months of sunshine. It… Read more »
I spotted that too and was prepared to thumb down furiously but I think he meant nomadic in the sense that Gedion’s travelled a lot (around America and to England) to find the right club, in comparison to Fabregas who grew up and trained with Barcelona before moving to Arsenal. Poor choice of words, possibly, but I don’t think he meant it as a slight against his heritage.
Take a chill pill Solex. I don’t see any problem with calling Gedion nomadic, after all, he’s gone from Ethiopia, to Germany, to the US, now England – all before his 16th birthday!!
Whatever squad that plays chelsea,Mertesaker,Giroud,and Ozil must be rested
I think wenger will rotate a bit vs chelsea. I expect he will field strong defence, and youth in offence, like in wba game. My prediction of lineup is : fabianski, jenkinson, per, verm, nacho, arteta, zelalem, rosicky, cazorla, gnabry, bendtner. He most likely will rest ramsey, jack, ozil, giroud, sagna, & gibbs.
Arteta will be suspended after his red card on Saturday so another solution has to be found in midfield. Frimpong as a solution? Sounds weird enough.
to that Ethiopian bloke, are you dreaming? Nigeria defeated you in the first leg of the world cup qualifier right there in your country and you are still talking about been in the world cup