Who is Jack Porter? 16-year-old Arsenal goalkeeper set to start Carabao Cup tie

Jack Porter

Subscribe To Miguel Delaney's Free Sports Newsletter

Subscribe To Miguel Delaney's Free Weekly Newsletter

Subscribe To Miguel Delaney's Weekly Newsletter

At just 16 years old, goalkeeper Jack Porter is poised to make his debut for Arsenal. An injury to David Raya has put the young player in the starting position for tonight's Carabao Cup match against Bolton Wanderers.

After the 2-2 tie with Manchester City on Sunday, Raya was spotted walking with a limp as he made his way to the Arsenal team bus, a bandage wrapped around his knee. The Gunners are being cautious and do not want to jeopardize the Spanish player's health.

Arsenal's third-choice goalkeeper, 18-year-old Tommy Setford, is also sidelined with an injury, which means Mikel Arteta's only option for the upcoming third-round match against League One team Bolton is Porter.

Porter, who celebrated his 16th birthday in July, has been practicing with the Arsenal senior squad and was on the substitute bench during last week's Champions League match against Atalanta, which ended in a 0-0 tie. He also accompanied the first team to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

He has also played for England at the Under-16 and Under-17 levels and has made multiple appearances for the Arsenal Under-21 team this season.

Arteta plans to implement various alterations to his lineup after the thrilling 2-2 tie with Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday. The Gunners had to battle with only ten players for the second half due to Leandro Trossard's red card.

The Belgian striker is under suspension, and both captain Martin Odegaard and midfielder Mikel Merino are still dealing with injuries. As a result, Arteta has brought in two other young players, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, who have both come off the bench recently. Additionally, Raheem Sterling will be starting his first match in this game.

Porter hasn't officially signed a professional contract with Arsenal yet, but he did agree to a scholarship deal with the club this summer. Arteta's squad likely evaluated the young player's skills with the ball before deciding to include him in their plans for the Carabao Cup match.

Read more
This week's most popular news