Arsenal have included 16-year-old schoolboy Myles Lewis-Skelly in their first-team squad for a mid-season training camp in Dubai. The talented midfielder will travel with the Gunners, who are missing several key players due to World Cup commitments.
Lewis-Skelly, who has impressed at youth level, recently made his debut for Arsenal's Under-21 side. The teenager scored on his Under-18 debut as a 14-year-old against Reading in May 2021 and is part of next season's scholarship programme should he remain at the club.
Arsenal, currently five points clear at the top of the Premier League, will jet out to Dubai on December 5. They are scheduled to play friendlies against Lyon on December 8 and AC Milan on December 13.
Manager Mikel Arteta explained the rationale behind the trip: "It's an easy trip as one of the biggest sponsors we have in Emirates is part of it, plus we've been there and know the facilities and it's a really good environment to work. The weather is spectacular and then the World Cup is so close, so for any player that is around there, it is so easy to get them back straight away."
Arteta also addressed the impact of the winter World Cup on the season, comparing it to a shortened pre-season: "We've got a pre-season; not a full pre-season but a really good three weeks of preparation. We're going to have to get the team ready in different phases... It's not really different to any summer when there is a European competition or a World Cup."
