Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell has said Arsenal fullback Ainsley Maitland-Niles is running out of opportunities to convince people he can make it as a first-team regular at the Gunners.

The 22-year-old started Mikel Arteta’s first five league games in charge, but he has played just one minute of first-team football since mid-January with some reports suggesting his poor attitude has led to him going out of favour under the Arsenal manager.

Campbell believes the Gunners boss won’t be afraid to wield the axe on certain players if he doesn’t think they are up to scratch:

“What’s he going to get from these talented youngsters, do they have the right attitude for Arsenal? If they don’t, they’ve got to go. It’s so important he gets ruthless with everyone, because we could be waiting on a Maitland-Niles to cross that gap and it never happens.”

“You’ll always feel a bit sorry, say he never got the chance, but it’s nonsense now, it’s his fourth manager and the jury’s still out so something’s got to give.”

Maitland-Niles actually made his senior debut five and a half years ago, and he has gone on to make 91 appearances for the first team so he can’t really be considered a young player anymore.

As Campbell says, if he can’t prove that he is worthy of first-team football under Arteta, he could find himself heading for the exit door.