Arsene Wenger has elevated the 19-year-old French striker, together with defender Moritz Volz, from the reserves for this season's defence of the Premiership title and FA Cup.

Volz, captain of Germany's Under-19 team, is currently on inter national duty but Aliadiere is due to play tonight in a three-club tournament in Kapfenberg, Austria. Arsenal play two 45-minute matches against AS Roma and Panathinaikos.

Wenger intends to field two different teams and, with Nwankwo Kanu still recovering from injuries sustained in the World Cup, the pacy Aliadiere is certain to play in one of the matches.

Rambouillet-born Aliadiere, considered one of Highbury's hottest prospects, is a product of the famous Clairefontaine Academy, the school outside Paris that helped develop the skills of Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka.

He joined Arsenal in the summer of 1999, claiming nine goals in their victorious FA Youth Cup campaign of 2001, equalling Michael Owen's scoring record in the competition.

Top scorer in Arsenal's reserves last season, he made his Premiership debut as a substitute in a 4-1 win against Fulham last February.

He also played in the opening match of the tour, scoring in the 7-2 win over Neuberg.

Wenger will give late fitness checks to Patrick Vieira - now confirmed as captain in succession to Tony Adams - and Dennis Bergkamp, before finalising his line-ups.

Neither of his two new signings are likely to play. Arsenal are still awaiting a work permit for the Brazilian World Cup winner Gilberto Silva, and Uruguayan goalkeeper Fabian Carini, signed from Juventus, has yet to join the party.