Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock and Cohen Bramall promoted to Arsenal first-team ahead of Stoke clash

Arsenal have made three new additions to the first-team ahead of their second Premier League game of the campaign against Stoke City on Saturday (19 August) after Arsene Wenger decided to promote Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock and Cohen Bramall to the senior squad.

The youth team trio were heavily involved during Arsenal's pre-season tour of Australia and China, while Nelson and Willock also played in the Emirates Cup against Sevilla and Benfica. According to the Mirror, the trio have now been promoted to the senior squad for the upcoming campaign.

Wenger has been hinting since the start of the summer at the trio being ready to step up to the senior squad and reserved special praise for Nelson and Willock after their impressive showing during the pre-season games.

Nelson and Willock have come through the ranks at Arsenal having joined as schoolboys while Bramall joined the club in January this year from Northern Premier League outfit Hednesford Town. The left-back has made rapid progress in the Arsenal Under-23 team along with the aforementioned duo and will now deputise for Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac in the left side of Arsenal's defence.

The 17-year-old duo and the 21-year-old defender are unlikely to be included in the squad for Premier League games, but are likely to be afforded game time in the English Football League Cup campaign. They could also be involved in the Europa League as Wenger has made it clear that Premier League is the team's main priority.

The report claims that Ainsley Maitland-Niles has also joined the trio in making the step up to the first-team, but the England U20 World Cup winner has been involved with the senior squad since the 2015/16 campaign. He has made 10 senior appearances thus far and is an FA Cup medal winner on two occasions. Niles and Nelson were also involved when Arsenal beat Chelsea in the Community Shield earlier this month.