Mikel Arteta had Martin Odegaard at his disposal, a key player for the team and the club captain. Nwaneri is also just 17 years old, so there was no reason to rush to include him.

But the situation has slowly changed over the last month, in light of a couple of different factors.

On top of that, Nwaneri is no longer completely untested in senior football, making his first competitive start in a League Cup game and scoring a brace.

The academy graduate has also made three Premier League appearances from the bench, impressing every time.

When Odegaard first got injured, Arsenal were facing Tottenham Hotspur, Atalanta, and Manchester City - all away from home. Those aren't games you really want to throw a teenager into for his first start.

But he's made that start now, and Arsenal have had a run of games against Leicester City, Southampton, and Bournemouth. Up next are Champions League strugglers Shakhtar Donetsk.

If there were ever a time to give a young backup some experience, it was this run.

Yet it's clear that just playing all of the senior midfielders for their experience isn't working. The trio of Mikel Merino, Declan Rice, and Thomas Partey lacks balance, with none of the three primarily valued for their attributes in the final third.

A sacrifice has to be made either way, it just feels like giving up some experience for a more creative and attack-minded midfielder is a trade-off worth taking in Odegaard's absence.

That seems particularly true given the doubts about Bukayo Saka's fitness, and in light of the fact that Merino has only played a few minutes for this Arsenal team himself. He may be experienced, but not with these teammates.

If Arteta doesn't take a chance on Nwaneri against Shakhtar, he's certainly not going to take it against Liverpool, so Tuesday's team is the one to keep an eye on.