David Raya injury update as 16yo starts in goal for Arsenal | OneFootball

David Raya was officially ruled out of Arsenal‘s squad for their Carabao Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday after sustaining a thigh injury in the match against Manchester City on Sunday.

While the injury is believed to be minor, it looks like manager Mikel Arteta has decided to give him time to recover with the hope that Raya will be fit for Arsenal’s upcoming game against Leicester on Saturday.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: David Raya of Arsenal receives medical treatment during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Prior to the confirmation of his injury, Arteta had acknowledged that Raya was a doubt for the Bolton match. “Let’s see how they are today and we will try to make a call on that if it’s a possibility,” Arteta said when discussing the goalkeeper’s availability.

With Raya unavailable, Arsenal faced a potential crisis in goal. Summer loan signing Neto was cup-tied, having already played in the League Cup for Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, the club’s recent signing Lucas Nygaard is still recovering from a broken thumb and not yet match-ready.

Arsenal’s Jack Porter ahead of their match against Atalanta (Photo via Porter on Instagram)

This situation led Arteta to name 16-year-old Jack Porter as the starting goalkeeper. Porter becomes the youngest ever player named in an Arsenal starting XI.

Porter, an England U17 international who has been training with the Arsenal first team, had only a handful of appearances for the club’s U18s and U21s but was considered the most viable option under the circumstances.

He had already made the bench for the Champions League fixture against Atalanta and travelled as the emergency keeper for the matches against Tottenham and Manchester City.

Arsenal’s other young goalkeeper, 18-year-old Tommy Setford was also unavailable, with Setford still recovering from an injury.

Another possibility was Brian Okonkwo, the younger brother of former Gunner Arthur Okonkwo, who was on the bench for the U21s but could have been called up if needed.

Alex Rojas was named as the backup keeper on the bench.