By George Overhill

15th Oct, 2022 | 7:13pm

Arsenal bring former Leeds United target Khayon Edwards to Elland Road amid Gabriel Jesus fears

Khayon Edwards has been included in the Arsenal senior squad for the first time in the Premier League for the trip to face Leeds United on Sunday, Jeorge Bird reports.

The 19-year-old forward makes the trip to Elland Road with Mikel Arteta’s side with star Gunners forward Gabriel Jesus a doubt through injury.

Despite it being his first inclusion in the senior party on a top flight match day, the Whites will not be unfamiliar as the teenager is a previous transfer target in west Yorkshire.

FourFourTwo reported that United were interested in the youngster on 4 April, along with Chelsea and Newcastle, as he put an end to speculation over his future with a new long-term deal in north London.

But Arsenal youth expert Bird, who has 58,000 followers on Twitter, reported on his blog: “Edwards is the only academy player who has travelled with the squad for the Leeds game.”

Jesse Marsch is looking to guide his team to a first win since 21 August against Chelsea, but Arsenal come in leading the Premier League and having beaten Liverpool and Tottenham back to back.

Fate

While Leeds will be boosted in their attempts to get a result against the league’s form team if Jesus misses out, fans may be wary of seeing Edwards on the bench if he makes it.

Football has a strange way of providing unlikely storylines so a former transfer target making his first ever Premier League trip with the first team side seems like asking for trouble were he to see any action.

Whoever is in the visitors’ attack on Sunday (15 October) the Whites defence is going to need to be much-improved from the defeat at Crystal Palace (9 October).

The calamitous partnership of Diego Llorente and Robin Koch at Brentford on 3 September suggested the back line was crying out for the organisation of the club captain.

But the 31-year-old didn’t shower himself in glory at Selhurst Park last time out, which didn’t help with a defence that includes a makeshift left back and a right back still adapting to the league.

In attack Luis Sinisterra will surely come back into the side after suspension but if Marsch continues to stick with Patrick Bamford up front whenever he can the number nine is going to have to start finding the net.

In other Leeds United news, a Whites sensation is going to have to leave before long as his manager continues to say one thing and do another.