Arsenal: What’s going on with Myles Lewis-Skelly?

Despite a drop in game time after finding himself in the deep end of a title challenge at just 18 last year, it is not all negative for Lewis-Skelly.

He started 26 times in 42 games last season as Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney all had injury issues.

That may have led many, including Lewis-Skelly, to expect more time on the pitch this season. However, while he has started 12 games in 26 appearances, just one start has come in the Premier League.

The talk of being a starting England left-back came ahead of schedule for the plan that Lewis-Skelly had in his career and he will still have played enough to receive a Premier League medal if Arsenal are able to make the step to becoming champions in May.

He has started six of Arsenal‘s nine Champions League games, which included impressive wins over Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid – during which he produced a line-breaking run and assist – and he also played the full 90 minutes in Arsenal‘s victory over Inter Milan in the San Siro.

“Every season is different,” Arteta said when asked about Lewis-Skelly’s game time this season.

“He had very good moments in this season. He had other moments when he hasn’t played in that much.

“Obviously, a few days ago, in the FA Cup, he was suspended and he could not play.

“So, there are various reasons. Sometimes, as well, the good form of your team-mates. There’s a lot of factors that contribute to that. But he’s doing well.”

Arteta is not adverse to giving young players a chance, with six youngsters making their debut this season, but there is a difference between getting a taste of first-team football and playing in crunch games.

Lewis-Skelly has excelled when playing as a full-back and inverting into midfield with the ball, but with a tweak on the requirements on Arsenal‘s full-backs this season, those attributes are not so obviously needed in build-up play.

Nwaneri’s loan will still be fresh in the memory, and the fact that Lewis-Skelly would present pure profit for Arsenal on the balance sheet is also another intriguing factor when discussing his future.

There are not many 19-year-olds who have achieved what Lewis-Skelly has.

But with selection for the World Cup looking increasingly unlikely, there may be discussions to be had about his immediate career plan in the summer.