Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong is set to return to first team action in the Gunners Capital One Cup tie against Coventry on Wednesday night.

The tough tackling midfielder has been sidelined for the last nine months since rupturing his knee ligaments while playing on-loan for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Emmanuel Frimpong
Frimpong has been out for nine months after damaging his cruciate [Reuters] Reuters

He has been working hard to recover to full fitness and will have the chance to pull on an Arsenal shirt once again after being named on the substitutes bench for the League Cup third round tie.

"It's a big moment because he has suffered for a long time and has worked extremely hard, like Jack [Wilshere]," Wenger told the Metro

"Ideally we should have waited a bit longer to include him again, but once you're back, you want so much a chance to be involved. So I want to give him a chance to be involved at least."

Wenger has named a youthful 18-man squad for the game against Coventry as Arsenal fans will be given a chance to see some of the best young talent at the club.

Included in the squad are a number of players who have been playing regular competitive football in the new Under-21 league and the NextGen series.

Exciting Spanish full-back Hector Bellerin, German winger Serge Gnabry and tough tackling midfielder Nico Yennaris could all feature at some point against the League One side.

Wenger also revealed that there will be an opportunity for Andrey Arshavin to prove that he still has a future at the club, having struggled to force his way into the Premier League side.

"At the moment he's a victim of the high level of competition that exists for places," admitted Wenger.

"'I have personally a great respect for Andrey Arshavin because sometimes some wrong ideas circulated about him - that he doesn't care, but it's completely the opposite."