Eddie Nketiah says he is ready and waiting to lead the line for Arsenal as the new season begins without their talisman Gabriel Jesus.
On Wednesday, it was confirmed that sustained in .
The No.9 is vital to the way Mikel Arteta’s side play and will come as a huge blow as they attempt to make a winning start to the season and mount another title challenge.
Arsenal kick-off their season on Sunday against in the Community Shield, before fixtures against , Crystal Palace and Fulham.
When Jesus was ruled out for several months last season after injuring himself at the World Cup, Nketiah deputised and initially performed really well, scoring six goals in as many games when the campaign resumed.
However, this form dropped off and the striker was eventually dropped for new signing Leandro Trossard.
Now, Nketiah faces competition to start the clash against City not only from the Belgian winger, but also Gabriel Martinelli, Folarin Balogun and Kai Havertz.
But the 24-year-old believes Arteta should put his faith in him especially after he scored and skippered the side against Monaco in their last pre-season friendly on Wednesday.
‘I don’t think I’m here to fill in for anyone. I’m here to play and contribute to the team,’ he told ESPN.
‘Obviously, I believe in my abilities and I know I can contribute. The manager has got a tough decision and whenever he calls me, he knows I can deliver and I can help the team, so it’s just about us all collectively playing our part to achieve our goals.
‘Playing at the highest level, competing for trophies and that’s what I want to do. That’s what I want to contribute.
‘I pride myself on always being ready and whatever role the manager needs me to fill I will always make sure I do my the best and to the best of my ability so I can help the team. That’s what it’s all about.’
‘We train hard every day to get the opportunity to play at the weekend. It’s what we play football for. Not just myself, there’s many players that can obviously play in that position.
‘We’re all ready, we are all good players, we’re all able to contribute at different points in the season, everyone’s going to have different roles. It’s just about being ready and contribute and hopefully I can do that throughout the season.’
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