Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has added five youngsters to his first-team squad amid a growing injury crisis at the Emirates.
Arteta is currently without Takehiro Tomiyasu, Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney, with the latter not expected to return before the end of the season due to a knee complaint. The injuries have come at a terrible time for the Gunners, who've lost back-to-back Premier League games to slip to fifth in the race for Champions League football.
Mazeed Ogungbo, Charlie Patino, Miguel Azeez, Lino Sousa and Marcelo Flores have all been invited to train with the first team ahead of Arsenal's Premier League fixture against Southampton at St Mary's on Saturday afternoon, reports Football London.
Ogungbo is a 19-year-old centre-back who's made six professional appearances for the U23s in the EFL Trophy. He's also represented the Republic of Ireland at U16 and U19 levels - and was on the bench for the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace earlier this month.
Patino is an 18-year-old ball-playing midfielder who's featured twice for the first-team in cup competitions this season, scoring against Sunderland in Arsenal's 5-1 EFL Cup victory against Sunderland in December. He is a current England U19 international.
"I've seen him [Patino] play and he's a good player," said former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere last October. "He's obviously really young still and got a lot of developing to do but he's definitely one who everyone at the training ground is talking about.
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"The first-team players know who he is and he is a good player and one for the future for sure... He has certainly got some qualities I didn't have and there are things he needs to work on but he is going to make a name for himself in the future."
Azeez is a 19-year-old central midfielder who spent the first half of the season on loan at League One side Portsmouth, featuring 10 times in all competitions. He's played once for Arsenal's first team, coming off the bench in a Europa League game in December 2020.
Sousa is a 17-year-old left-back who joined Arsenal from West Brom in January, having represented England at U15 and U16 levels. He's scored in each of his last two Premier League 2 outings and captained the Gunners in the U18 Premier League.
Last but not least is Flores, who's already won his first senior cap for Mexico. The 18-year-old playmaker joined Arsenal's academy from Ipswich Town in 2019 and scored on his professional debut against Chelsea's U23s in a 4-1 EFL Trophy win last December.
He's enjoyed a blistering campaign in the U18 Premier League - scoring six goals and providing two assists - and has also found the back of the net three times in the Premier League 2. He was on the bench for the recent game against Palace, alongside Ogungbo.
"I would like to make my Premier League debut before I turn 19," Flores told GOAL last month. He added: "I'd like to get my proper international debut for Mexico and be involved in the Qatar World Cup... my ultimate dream is to win things like the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or."
