Nacer Barazite hopes his loan spell at Derby will help him to follow Nicklas Bendtner into Arsenal’s first team.

Dutch youngster Barazite has impressed since moving to Pride Park last month, dropping down to the Championship in a bid to gain some valuable experience.

Bendtner enjoyed a similar education at Birmingham during the 2006/07 season before breaking into Arsene Wenger’s plans at the Emirates Stadium.

Barazite - who shares the same initials as the Denmark forward - is keen to emulate Bendtner and was not concerned about joining a club which had been relegated from the Premier League.

“He (Bendtner) was like me, almost at the first team. Arsenal sent him to the Championship with Birmingham and he went back there after doing really well and now he is in the first team,” Barazite, 18, told the Evening Telegraph.

“I was not worried that Derby had a difficult time last season. The Premier League is a very difficult level and Derby is a good club. I talked with Arsene Wenger and he said I was doing really well at the club and the final step was learn some other sides of the game and the best thing to do that was to go to the Championship.”

You can keep up to date with all the latest news and analysis on Arsenal’s reserve & youth sides over at Young Guns. Not forgetting Nicklas Bendtner News - the number one blog on all things Bendtner.

As if the first team wasn’t youthful enough, Gunners manager Arsène Wenger has consistently used the Carling Cup to blood promising youngsters. Expect, then, to get a first home glimpse of Welsh wonderkid Aaron Ramsey and maybe even teenage English winger Jack Wilshere who impressed in pre-season. The thinness of the squad, however, may also mean a start for surprise centre-back signing Mikael Silvestre.

Sheffield United will be a stern test and boast plenty of Premier League experience with one-time England defender Ugo Ehiogu, former England striker James Beattie, as well as midfielder Gary Speed who seems to have been around since decimalisation. Kevin Blackwell’s side will fancy their chances against a club with one eye on forthcoming Champions League encounters.

Arsenal met Sheffield United in last year’s Carling Cup fourth round. Croatian striker Eduardo da Silva scored a brace and Denilson added a third as a young Arsenal side strolled into the last eight. The Gunners were eventually eliminated by Tottenham Hotspur in the last four.

Fabianski
G.Hoyte - Djourou - Song - Gibbs
Wilshere - Ramsey - Randall - Merida
Bendtner - Vela

Match Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Sheffield United

Arsenal v Sheffield United is unfortunately not being broadcast on live TV but it should be avaliable online with p2p streams likely to be posted.

Catch all the post-match reaction and player ratings here on Gooner Talk seconds after the final whistle.

Leave your views and predictions of tomorrows game in the comments section below.

Johan Djourou has signed a new, long-term contract with Arsenal which will reportedly see him stay at the club until 2012.

The 21-year-old Switzerland international centre-back joined the Gunners from Etoile Carouge in 2003.

Born in the Ivory Coast but raised in Geneva, Djourou has made four appearances this season most recently coming off the bench to replace injured Gael Clichy in the win over Bolton on Saturday which sent the Gunners top of the Premier League.

He is set to come in for Kolo Toure tomorrow evening and claim a place in the Arsenal XI against Sheffield United - a match where Johan will be the most experienced defender on the pitch.

Djourou has made 51 appearances for the Gunners, including 3 in the 2006/07 season.