Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has reportedly invited six additional Hale End academy prospects to train with the senior squad as the club prepares for its Carabao Cup meeting with Fleetwood Town.

The Gunners are getting ready for Tuesday night's fixture, with Arteta aiming to lead his team towards silverware after they finished runners-up to Manchester City in last season's final at Wembley Stadium. The competition presents another opportunity for Arsenal to challenge for a domestic trophy while giving younger players a chance to demonstrate their abilities.

According to Football London, Andre Harriman-Annous, Ceadach O'Neill, Marcell Washington, Theo Julienne, Igor Tyjon and Ife Ibrahim participated in first-team training at the Sobha Realty Training Ground.

The six academy players joined Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, who had already been working with the senior group. Their involvement gives Arteta additional options as he considers his squad for the cup tie and evaluates the progress of some of the club's emerging talents.

However, being included in first-team training does not guarantee that all six youngsters will be selected against Fleetwood. Arsenal's under-21 team is also scheduled to face AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Trophy, with qualification for the knockout stages at stake. The coaching staff will therefore need to consider both the senior team's requirements and the development needs of the academy players when finalising their plans.

Arteta is expected to rotate his starting lineup for the encounter, but Arsenal are still likely to approach the match with the intention of progressing to the next round. Despite the difference in league status between the clubs, Fleetwood will hope to make the contest difficult for their more established opponents.

Fleetwood manager Matt Lawlor has encouraged his players to approach the occasion confidently and enjoy the challenge rather than be intimidated by Arsenal's reputation.

Away from the academy developments, questions have also emerged over the fitness of senior defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori following their absence from the latest training photographs released ahead of the match.

Gabriel was not visible in the published images, although he did not appear to sustain an injury during Arsenal's recent victory over Everton. His absence could be related to workload management as the club navigates a demanding schedule, but no definitive explanation was provided.

Calafiori was also missing after reportedly experiencing discomfort during the Everton encounter. Arteta had previously acknowledged that the Italian defender was dealing with a minor problem, although the precise nature and severity of the issue remained uncertain.

The defender had started Arsenal's previous seven Premier League matches before being omitted from the starting lineup against Everton. He subsequently entered the game as a substitute but appeared to experience discomfort before the final whistle.

Arsenal will continue monitoring Calafiori's condition before deciding whether he can be involved against Fleetwood. Gabriel's availability will also be important as Arteta determines his defensive options for the fixture.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the two defenders, the training session appeared relaxed and positive. Declan Rice and Bruno Guimaraes were among those taking part in a light-hearted football-beachball activity alongside academy prospects Harriman-Annous and O'Neill.

Arteta's decision to bring more Hale End players into first-team training underlines the opportunities available to Arsenal's youngsters as they seek to impress the senior coaching staff and potentially earn opportunities in competitive matches.