Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell believes Mikel Arteta will elect to use Martin Odegaard ahead of Emile Smith Rowe against Leeds United.
Signed on loan from Real Madrid in January, Odegaard has so far been limited to two cameo appearances off the bench in the Premier League and he gets up to speed following a lengthy spell on the sidelines in the Spanish capital.
The most recent of those opportunities came in the final 25 minutes against Aston Villa, where the Norway international showed some bright sparks.
As a result, Campbell believes that Arteta will make a significant change this weekend by handing Odegaard his first Arsenal start - which would likely result in Smith Rowe taking a spot on the bench.
“You would like to think that Odegaard will get a start. Emile Smith-Rowe has played a lot of football of late and Odegaard looked exciting against Aston Villa," he told Football Insider.
“Will Arteta tinker with the system a little bit to get them both in there? Or, will he give Odegaard some more minutes. The young lad deserves it. I think he will start or at the very least get a half against Leeds on Sunday.”
Smith Rowe has started Arsenal's last nine Premier League matches after making a successful breakthrough into the first-team but Arteta is wary of overplaying the 20-year-old.
The signing of Odegaard has provided Arsenal with an alternative to the Hale End graduate, allowing for rotation in the remainder of the season.
With 6,000 miles to travel over the course of just 11 days in the coming weeks, Odegaard's first start is likely to be around the corner.
