League Cup engagements for Arsenal means one thing - the opportunity to watch some of the brightest young talents from the youth team.
When Arsenal take on Reading in the Capital One Cup, a trophy that is admittedly Arsene Wenger's least priority, players like Serge Gnabry, Ignasi Miquel, Nico Yennaris and Thomas Eisfeld will come into the forefront and try to prove to the manager they deserve a shot in the first team.
Wenger will also hand out starts to some of the players that have found first team opportunities hard to come by, with Andrey Arshavin, Johan Djourou and Marouane Chamakh expected to be involved.
Arsenal will be buoyed by the 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers and will look to carry their momentum into the League Cup game against a Reading side really low on confidence, despite their remarkable 3-3 comeback draw against Fulham in the English Premier League last Saturday.
"We expect a challenge and we know Reading will give absolutely everything when they play against us," Wenger told the club's official website. "Reading have done very well in their scouting. They are one of the examples of a club not spending money and living within their resources.
"I always respect that. There is some quality work behind their success.
Wenger also reserved special praise for former Arsenal player Brian McDermott, who guided his Reading side to promotion to the top tier against all odds.
"Reading have made appointments from within the club well over the years.
"You have to congratulate Brian McDermott for promotion last year, I believe he made a miracle basically. When you get to the Premier League, the level of expectation is to stay and I feel they have a chance. McDermott has the qualities to achieve that."
Wenger will be keen to take Arsenal into the quarterfinals for the tenth straight season, but the Gunners' former player will try to thwart their chances, even if he is grateful for the time spent with the club during his playing days.
"I scored about 13 goals at Arsenal and they are a really class club," McDermott said. "A lot of people are still there from when I was behind the scenes. It's my first time as a first-team manager playing against them. I was lucky, really, to be brought up at a fantastic club like that.
"I'm really looking forward to it. I felt under pressure last year when we were trying to win the league. This is good pressure."
Reading are also expected to rest some of their players, ahead of the bottom-of-the-table Premier League clash with Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is still out for Arsenal, with Jack Wilshere also expected to be rested after his wonderful comeback game against QPR. Gervinho will be assessed before the game after picking up an ankle injury in Saturday's London Derby, while Wojciech Szczesny is expected to miss out.
Young Argentine goalkeeper Damian Martinez will be given the nod behind the goalposts.
Expected lineups: Reading: Federici, Gunter, Gorkss, Pearce, Shorey, Tabb, Leigertwood, Kebe, McLeary, Le Fondre, Hunt.
Arsenal: Martinez, Miquel, Djourou, Koscielny, Jenkinson, Yennaris, Coquelin, Arshavin, Gnabry, Eisfeld, Chamakh.
Prediction: 3-1 to Arsenal
