Arsenal hand Carabao Cup call-up to summer signing Scanlon as Arteta rotates against Ipswich

Mikel Arteta has called up summer signing James Scanlon for Arsenal’s Carabao Cup second-round trip to Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Tuesday night, with the 19-year-old winger among a group of youngsters stepping up to first-team training at London Colney.

Scanlon joined Arsenal from Manchester United earlier this summer and is yet to make a competitive appearance for the club. The Gibraltar international, who has 24 senior caps for the territory and spent time on loan at Swindon last season, was spotted in Monday’s training session alongside fellow prospects Marli Salmon, Jaden Dixon and Andre Harriman-Annous.

The cup tie is Arsenal’s fourth fixture in nine days, and Arteta is expected to make wholesale changes. Wingers Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis are among those who could be given a rest, potentially opening the door for Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze to start, with Scanlon and highly-rated youngster Max Dowman in contention for bench spots.

Scanlon has spoken openly about his ambitions since arriving at the club. “I like to score goals, assist, so hopefully I can excite players who watch me,” he said in the summer. “I’m looking forward to playing, representing the badge, improving and hopefully showing people what I can do.”

Arteta has a track record of using the early rounds of the Carabao Cup to blood younger players — last season Harriman-Annous made his first-team debut in a tie against Brighton.

The competition remains one of the few trophies to have eluded Arsenal in the modern era. The Gunners have not lifted the League Cup since 1993, a drought that stretched through Arsène Wenger’s entire 22-year tenure. Under Arteta, they reached the final last season only to lose to Manchester City, and were knocked out at the semi-final stage the year before by eventual winners Newcastle.