Why Bukayo Saka is still waiting to join Unai Emery's first team despite spot in Arsenal photo

It is always a significant day in the season when the first-team gather together for their annual photograph, a back-to-school moment that heralds the start of a new campaign.

Perhaps that was not quite the case this season with Arsenal, whose official first-team photo was delayed until late September as Unai Emery waited to confirm his five captains.

Even after a delay there were still talking points to come from the photo, not least the presence of a certain 18-year-old prospect in the top right of the picture.

Was his presence next to Joe Willock a sign that Bukayo Saka had officially joined the first team?

Not quite. It is of course more a matter of when rather than if Saka makes the step up to Emery’s squad but clubs sources have confirmed to football.london that officially he remains in the Under-23 squad for the time being.

Like many clubs there is plenty of pomp and circumstance at Arsenal around the move to the first team. For young Gunners that means having your shirt officially moved to the first team dressing room at London Colney.

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When the time does come for Saka he can expect a warm round of applause from his team-mates before the part every new addition to the Arsenal squad must surely dread, performing a song of their choosing to their new team-mates. Doubtless it will be on the Instagram stories of half the squad by the time they have sat down.

In recent months Emile Smith Rowe, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah have all made the step up from the U23s to Arsenal's first team and they were followed by new signing Gabriel Martinelli just a few weeks ago.

Saka is not the first youngster to be included in Arsenal's squad photo before he has been officially added to the first team but it will augur well for him to follow in the footsteps of players Willock, Nelson, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Jack Wilshere, all of whom have been in the photo before moving up.

At just 18 years of age Saka has already made seven appearances, scoring his first goal in a 3-0 Europa League win over Eintracht Frankfurt last week.