Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has challenged Emile Smith Rowe to get on the train of the club's season.

The attacker has been absent for months with a groin issue, with the 22-year-old yet to play for the first team this year.

however, Smith Rowe is in line to play on Monday against Oxford in the FA Cup.

“He (Smith Rowe) knows that he has the space in the squad to fulfil his potential," said Arteta.

“We really like him, I really like him, and he is a very important player for us.

“He knows that now he needs to jump on the train fast enough to have the impact that we all hope that he can have this season.

“He can play as a left attacking midfielder, on the right, he can play off the left as well. Those qualities within those units on the outside is something that he compliments really well with. We will exploit that."

“I think you have periods when it is a long injury like the one he had and there is a surgery in between," he added.

“We have tried to be really close to him, to give him advice. He has been in different places as well.

“He has been really good. We have talked about his moods, his energy and how much he has to be living with the team in this period and he has been really good."