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If Jack Wilshere feels the second tier of English football is beneath him at the tender age of 17, tonight he has the opportunity to prove he is ready for regular first-team football at the highest level.
Following the Gunners' exit from the Carling Cup, this evening's Champions League clash with Olympiakos is likely to be the teenager's last outing in an Arsenal shirt before the transfer window, and the opportunity to go out on loan, arrives next month.
Wilshere claims he will only join another Premier League club as he looks to play on a consistent basis but despite his undeniable potential, question marks remain given the paucity of his involvement in top-class matches.
The Stevenage-born midfielder is yet to start a match for the Gunners outside the Carling Cup but has shown flashes of trickery and inspiration that belie his years in eight substitute appearances in the more meaningful competitions.
Whether he can transform that into consistent effectiveness against top opposition is the great unknown and the buzz Wilshere creates throughout his club comes chiefly from his dazzling performances in training.
As something of a father figure to Manchester United's youngsters prior to his switch to north London, Mikael Silvestre is well placed to argue Wilshere's case.
"I think he is amongst the best young players I have played with because of his ability and the fact that he is really mature," said the 32-year-old. "He is always a step ahead of the others and I hope it is going to carry on like this.
"Jack is very tricky. He is very close to the ground and has a good protection of the ball. He likes to take on defenders and he is unpredictable. When you train with him every day, it is difficult to catch him."
There will doubtless be a host of clubs ready to snap up such a precocious talent and Wenger, perhaps somewhat surprisingly given his usually protective approach with Wilshere, is willing to allow a move.
"He is doing well but he is 17 years old," said the Frenchman. "He is in advance of a typical 17-year-old boy but of course we have to be a bit patient for him to be completely ready to play at the top of the Premier League. I spoke with him about going out on loan and I have no objections."
Arsenal's travelling party contained 10 teenagers and another who is likely to be given a chance is 18-year-old Thomas Cruise.
Although a regular for the Under 18s, Cruise is a relative unknown but there will be no confusion with his movie star namesake in the visitors' dressing room. "I do not care about headlines - for me, there is only one Tom Cruise, and it is the one who plays for Arsenal," said Wenger.
The Karaiskakis Stadium here in Piraeus, the largest port in Greece and a municipality of Athens, is a notoriously intimidating arena and its partisan crowd have ensured Olympiakos remain unbeaten in all competitions at home this season.
The Greek side need a point to ensure qualification from group H alongside Arsenal, and tonight's clash is a dead rubber for the Gunners.
Meanwhile, Roman Pavlyuchenko's agent has claimed that the Tottenham striker is a transfer target for north London rivals Arsenal.
After falling down the White Hart Lane pecking order Pavlyuchenko is almost certain to leave next month, though the 27-year-old is thought to favour a return to Russia via Moscow or St Petersburg.
But agent Oleg Artemov believes the Gunners are definitely in the hunt for his signature, and said: "There is Spartak, Zenit, Roma, Arsenal - anything could happen."
Talking tactics with James Olley
Olympiakos coach Zico was attack-minded at home in his only Champions League match in charge at the Karaiskaki Stadium to date and is likely to sense an opportunity against a weakened Arsenal team. The Greek champions only need a point to qualify alongside Arsene Wenger's side but must contend with a host of injuries to players including former Blackburn forward Matt Derbyshire, Andreas Vasilogiannis, Diogo, Vassilis Torosidis and Cristian Ledesma. The main attacking threat from the Greeks will
come from German-born striker Kostas Mitroglou (right), who scored both goals as Olympiakos beat big rivals Panathinaikos 2-0 to go top of the Greek Super League table in their last home game. Mitroglou also scored in the 2-1 home win over Standard Liege in the Champions League before the Greek side lost 2-0 against the Belgians in the return fixture, their last group game before tonight's match. Olympiakos will come out fighting simply because their vociferous home support will not settle for anything else. With Mikael Silvestre expected to captain the side at centre-back, Arsenal have travelled to Greece with only one recognised left-back in Thomas Cruise. The 18-year-old is yet to make a first-team appearance for the club and Olympiakos will look to exploit his inexperience in a makeshift back four. Jack Wilshere and Fran Merida will be given the opportunity to enhance their burgeoning reputations, while Wenger could experiment in attack with Theo Walcott lined up to play through the middle. The Frenchman likes his forwards to rotate and, as he continues to search for solutions in replacing Robin van Persie, Walcott could play prolonged periods as the focal point of the attack to increase the options ahead of Sunday's trip to Liverpool.
