Arsenal face decision over U21 captaincy

With Jack Henry-Francis set to depart when his contract expires at the end of the month, Arsenal will soon face a decision regarding who the next captain of the club’s U21 squad will be.

The captain at this level is ideally somebody who will be available for the majority of matches in the first half of the season at least and isn’t likely to go on loan or be heavily involved with the first-team.

Players such as Maldini Kacurri or Josh Nichols could potentially make good captains but they are candidates for loan spells, which is also the case for Ismeal Kabia.

Wingers Seb Ferdinand and Osman Kamara, meanwhile, are looking to fully establish themselves in the U21 side.

Charles Sagoe Jr is the most experienced player in the squad but it seems unlikely that he will be playing many games for the U21s this campaign as he needs to test himself at a higher level on a more regular basis.

Should he stay, Michal Rosiak is another possibility to wear the armband but he also now needs to start playing senior football of some description.

Therefore, midfielder Harrison Dudziak could be the perfect candidate for the captaincy.

At the age of 19, Dudziak is now one of the older members of the U21 squad and he has made over 20 appearances at that level. Furthermore, he possesses experience of wearing the captain’s armband for the U18s on a regular basis.

The likes of Will Sweet and Brayden Clarke, who are set to become full-time members of the U21 squad, could be other candidates to wear the armband.