Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown is backing Ainsley Maitland-Niles to replace Granit Xhaka in the Gunners’ midfield for the game against Southampton.

After his sending off against Burnley, Xhaka will be unavailable for the clash tomorrow night, and Keown believes Maitland-Niles could stake a claim for a place in the side if he performs well versus the Saints:

“If the experienced players cannot do it, it is time to trust a youngster in the heart of midfield. Ainsley Maitland-Niles is an England player and he was superb in that position against Rapid Vienna. He has great pace, is good in possession and can defend.”

It’s a decent shout from Keown. Maitland-Niles did start out life as a central midfielder before being converted into a fullback and he was impressive in that 4-1 win over Rapid Vienna.

However, playing an in-form Southampton is quite different to playing in the Europa League, and manager Mikel Arteta may be hesitant about putting him in. The Gunners boss does have other options at his disposal, such as Dani Ceballos, and it will be interesting to see who starts at the Emirates.

After four consecutive home defeats in the league, Arteta will be desperate to get a result tomorrow evening.