Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger plans to hand Chuba Akpom an extended chance in preseason to prove himself.
The London Evening Standard says the 20-year-old has never started a Premier League match but could find himself thrown in at the deep end on the first weekend of the season, when Arsene Wenger's side host Liverpool at the Emirates, if he can prove himself worthy of a starting place ahead of Theo Walcott.
Wenger has confirmed he is set to give Euro 2016 finalist Olivier Giroud “time to regenerate", up to four weeks, after his tournament ended in disappointment as France lost 1-0 to Portugal, whilst Danny Welbeck's long-term absence with a knee injury opens the door for Akpom to impress as Arsenal scour the transfer market for a new striker.
Akpom, who spent last season on loan at Hull, has been training with the first team since the start of pre-season and is likely to start multiple pre-season fixtures.