Real Reason Okonkwo Was Not In Arsenal Squad Vs Man City U23 As Defender Plays In Goal

Published: October 25, 2020

Arsenal played with ten men for 83 minutes in their 4-1 loss to Manchester City in a Premier League 2 clash at the Academy Stadium in Manchester on Saturday.

The Gunners were reduced to ten men following the dismissal of goalkeeper Karl Hein for a foul on Nigerian attacking midfielder Felix Nmecha.

With no goalkeeper named on the substitutes bench, manager Steve Bould brought on the 2003-born center back Taylor Foran for his U23 debut and he took the gloves, with Nigerian-born midfielder Tim Akinola making way.

Allnigeriasoccer.com can exclusively report goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has no injury concerns and was supposed to be on the bench against Manchester City as the fifteenth player but was excused from the game at the last minute due to a family emergency.

Another Nigerian glovesman in Ovie Ejeheri was with the Arsenal U18 squad in Birmingham so wasn't named in the U23 matchday squad as cover for Hein.

Though he has yet to make his competitive debut for the U18s, he was on the bench for the 2-2 draw against Brighton & Hove U23s last month.

Foran ended up conceding four goals in the loss to the Citizens, with Nmecha among the scorers for the home team.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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