Morning! We are 8 days into our 19-day break from football. Times like this does make me wonder what those who do not like our great game do with their time? Life is so boring without it.

Due to the lack of senior football, Arsenal.com are using the time to highlight the academy and women teams, so there is a real lack of real Arsenal news floating about.

As expected, the game against Aston Villa has been moved to Sunday afternoon.

Hats off to all those who had worked out that this game would be moved, and as a result the Munich away leg would have to take place on the Wednesday. These guys got some great deals on flights by booking for a Wednesday game before UEFA had officially announced it. I am still not too upset about £230 flying via Frankfurt. Although it does bite that return flights direct to Munich are just £61 the next week!

I was surprised to read yesterday how few players we had on international duty – just 12:

Aaron Ramsdale
Bukayo Saka
David Raya
Declan Rice
Jakub Kiwior
Jorginho
Kai Havertz
Karl Hein
Leandro Trossard
Martin Odegaard
Oleksandr Zinchenko
William Saliba

Just 7 of the 12 are first team regulars following Gabriel Magalhaes withdrawal. That means the likes of Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Cedric Soares, Gabriel, Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira, Mohamed Elneny, Reiss Nelson, Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are still at London Colney. Gabriel Martinelli and Jurrien Timber also remain at home whilst they return from injury.

To have 11 senior players training in the middle of the March international break must be a positive for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. By the time we add in a few of the U21s, the boss will be able to run fairly normal training sessions.

One of those who has joined the senior team for training is goalkeeper Ovie Ejeheri.

I am not sure where the story has come from, but it has been reported that Ejeheri is only 15, which is clearly not true.

It shows how many Twitter accounts just copy and paste news without checking for themselves first. A quick Google of his name brings up his Arsenal.com profile which Ejeheri was born in 2003. In April he turns 21!

The Greenwich born keeper spent the first half of last season on-loan at National League South side Chelmsford City, keeping 12 clean sheets in 25 games. For the second half of the season he joined Finnish club SJK, with Ejeheri keeping nine clean sheets in 14 Veikkausliiga games.

Arsenal have quite a few young goalkeepers on the books right now including:

Karl Hein – Current 3rd choice, 21 years old
James Hilson – Current 4th choice, 1st choice U21, 23 years old
Ovie Ejeheri – 2nd choice U21, 20 years old
Arthur Okonkwo – Performing well on loan to Wrexham, 22 years old
Hubert Graczyk – Polish youth international on loan at Slough Town, 21 years old
Noah Cooper – Frist choice U18, 18 years old
Alexei Rojas – Essex born Columbian, signed from Chelsea, 18 years old
Brian Okonkwo – Arthur’s younger brother, recently joined Cheshunt on loan, 18 years old

With Aaron Ramsdale set to leave in the summer, it will be interesting if Arteta believes that Karl Hein is ready to step up as 2nd choice, and if so who from Hilson, Ejehri and Okonkwo will become 3rd choice.

My first thought is that we will probably sign an experienced number 2 to cover David Raya, with Hein remaining as number 3 for a couple more seasons.

James Hilson will probably be moved on, with Ejeheri stepping up to be 1st choice U21 keeper, backed up by Graczyk.

Okonwko (Arthur), will probably be sold on. His performances for Wrexham will probably see him fetch a fee in the region of £5m from a Championship side.

Cooper, Rojas and Okonkwo (Brian), will still all be eligiblefor the U18s next season. One will probably leave on loan to a National League side. We have history of sending the best U18 keeper out on loan so that they can gain some senior experience, so expect Noah Cooper to join someone like St Alban’s City.

It still baffles me why many are saying Ejeheri is 15. Is it a joke (and is then actually tinged with racism that footballers with African heritage look older than they are?), or is it just people not doing their own research?

Enjoy your Wednesday.

Keenos

Arsenal fans – heading out to Munich for the Champions League? Grab yourself a new bottle opener.

Our retro kit bottle openers can be added to your keys, put in your wallet/phone case. No issues getting through airport security. Perfect for Euro aways!https://t.co/lBkFuWS5xa pic.twitter.com/H39nZoUvzf

— Kick Off Merchants (@KOMerchants) March 18, 2024