Rob Holding and Reiss Nelson have dropped major hints that could they could feature for Arsenal against Chelsea in the Florida Cup. They pair have posted training pictures to their Instagram stories ahead of what is set to be a huge overseas London derby clash.
Mikel Arteta has enjoyed a spritely pre-season tour of the United States thus far, with the Gunners winning each of their three clashes. The north Londoners have picked up wins over Nurnbeg, Everton and Orlando City thanks to promising displays from Gabriel Jesus, who has impressed since swapped the Etihad for the Emirates Stadium.
But now, Arsenal are set for their biggest test of pre-season with the Blues in their sights. With no love lost between the London rivals, Arteta will be eager to get one-up on Thomas Tuchel ahead of a definitive season in the club's project.
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Though, while it's a chance to land bragging rights, the bout is also a great opportunity for the likes of Holding and Nelson to prove their worth amid equally uncertain futures at the club. Speaking at the official launch of Arsenal's new away kit, Holding spoke on the doubt regarding his future.
"I don’t want to look back on my career and think, 'Oh, yeah, I played really great in the last 10 minutes of games,'" the defender said. "Personally, I don't want to be known as the 5-3-2 defender that comes on and sees out games, as funny and as amusing as it is. I want to look back at my career and think, 'I’ve played a hell of a lot of games'. And if that’s for Arsenal, then great.
"But whatever happens, I’m not going to just give up and be like, 'Because I'm not starting, I'm not interested in coming on and helping the team'. If I'm getting on the pitch, then I'm going to be there and do my best for the team and help them get to where we want to be."
Meanwhile, Nelson has shown Arteta that he can step up to be Nicolas Pepe's replacement with an impressive performance against Orlando City. He scored the Gunners' third and final goal in the 3-1 win over the American outfit with a fine volleyed finish after drifting into the penalty box from the left wing.
The 22-year-old spent last season on loan at Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, registering 11 goal contributions in 32 appearances for the Dutch side. Nelson could save the club plenty of money this summer by proving himself to be a reliable backup option in the squad.
Though the catch is whether he's be satisfied in potentially settling for a squad role. If his hint is to be believe, then his time to shine could be very soon...
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