Arsene Wenger has revealed controversial plans to field a team of Under 12’s in tonight’s Europa League clash against Östersunds FK.

The Frenchman, who has come under fire from fans for recent squad selection decisions, has insisted it’s the right move. “We won the first leg 3-0, which means we have a license to experiment” explained Wenger. “These boys have impressed me. One of them, Harry Smith, got 9/10 on his spelling test before scoring a hattrick against Bournemouth’s U12’s last week. That’s the kind of intelligence we need to start nurturing.”

Not everyone is happy about the decision though. Harry Smith’s Mum, Tanya Smith, is concerned about the late kick-off time. “They won’t be finished until 22:30” raged Tanya. “Mr. Wenger seems to have forgotten that regardless of who’s playing who, it’s still a school night. Harry has to deliver a presentation about the Tudors tomorrow and now he won’t have any time to practice.”

Despite protests, Wenger is confident his young team can get a result. “I’ll do what I always do” said the 68-year-old. “If things start going south, I’ll bring Lacazette on for the last 20 minutes and hope for the best.”