Arsene Wenger spoke to the press on Thursday afternoon ahead of their Premier League clash with Swansea City on Saturday.

The veteran French manager oversaw a midweek Carabao Cup comeback at the Emirates, with Eddie Nketiah coming off the bench to bag a brace in a 2-1 win over Norwich.

The 18-year-old forward is already being billed as a future Arsenal star and Wenger was keen to praise the youngster following his heroic cameo.

"I know he can score a goal," said Wenger. "I know as well that he has character. He’s not afraid. He smells the combination movement.

"He can give and go. Once a player has that they always have a chance. The guys that can understand where to pick the ball up and know when to get it back, the quality of the reception is a very important quality. He has that."

Attention turned to Theo Walcott in his Thursday press conference after Ian Wright had urged the 28-year-old winger to move elsewhere.

Walcott joined the Gunners as a 16-year-old but, despite being handed the captain's armband by his manager, produced a disappointing display against Championship Norwich on Tuesday night.

"I'm not sure where he can go now with Arsenal and he's only playing in the Carabao Cup and the Europa League.

"He'll want to finish on a high in respect of what he's doing, he's given Arsenal great service in the time he's been there and for me he should move on for himself."

Walcott is yet to make a Premier League XI this season, starting all nine games from the bench.

Wenger responds to Wright

Walcott is unlikely to make Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad without first team football but Wenger insists that chances will still available to him in north London.

“I do not want Theo to move on," Wenger told reporters. "His time in the Premier League will come. At the moment he has got less minutes in the PL than other competitions.”

The former Southampton wonderkid, who is not a hugely popular figure amongst the Arsenal fan base, has played just 27 minutes of Premier League football this season.

In eleven seasons at Arsenal, Walcott has started more than 25 Premier League games on just one occasion - 2011/12.