Three teenagers of Nigerian descent will not take to the pitch when Chelsea face off with Arsenal in a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. 

Exciting winger Joel Ideho, 19, and central defender Zach Awe, 18, both trained with the Gunners first team in their final workout at London Colney on Saturday but have been excluded from the squad list by manager Mikel Arteta. 

The Spanish football tactician has selected Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli as his starting wingers with Reiss Nelson named on the substitutes bench, while William Saliba and Gabriel start in central defence. 

It would have been Ideho's first ever squad involvement for a competitive game if he was named in the matchday squad, while Awe has not received a call up for a first team game since he was a non-playing substitute at Wolverhampton Wanderers back in February. 

Meanwhile, England U20 international of Nigerian descent Carney Chukwuemeka will miss his third consecutive game for Chelsea. 

The 19-year-old has been omitted from the Blues matchday squad due to a hamstring issue. 

Chelsea Starting XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Silva, Cucurella; Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Mount; Sterling, Havertz, Aubameyang

Subs: Bettinelli; Koulibaly; Gallagher; Hall; Kovacic; Zakaria; Pulisic; Ziyech; Broja

Arsenal Starting XI: Ramsdale; White; Saliba; Gabriel; Zinchenko; Partey; Xhaka; Odegaard; Saka; Martinelli; Jesus

Subs: Turner; Holding; Cedric; Tierney; Lokonga; Elneny; Vieira; Nelson; Nketiah

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

Photo Credit : chelseafc.com 

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