Wenger admitted he had not yet made up his mind whether the former England Under-21 goalkeeper was good enough to eventually take over from 39-year-old Seaman, but said tonight’s game gave him a good chance to stake his claim.

“It is a good opportunity for Stuart Taylor to grab his chance and show how good he is,” said the Arsenal manager.

“I think he is very good and recently I think he has improved.

“I was always convinced about his talents, but until you play the players you don’t know how good they are. I cannot fault him for the two goals we conceded at Blackburn on Saturday – I think that was more a defensive problem than a goalkeeping problem.

“I think he could be Seaman’s ultimate replacement. There is a good relationship going on between David and Stuart with regards to him taking over, and David knows him well. David is the model for Stuart.

“I have not made up my mind yet, but these kind of games help me to do that.”

Wenger has struggled to find a long-term successor to England star Seaman.

He signed Richard Wright from Ipswich two years ago but he failed to make a good enough impression and was sold to Everton last summer.

Wenger then brought in Swede Rami Shabaan, but he is ruled out for the rest of the season with a broken leg.

Further cover was added when Guillaume Warmuz was signed for the rest of the season, but the 32-year-old Frenchman is not eligible for tonight’s game as he has already played for Lens in the Champions League.

That gives Taylor his chance to impress, with 18-year-old Craig Holloway as cover on the bench.

The teenager has featured in the senior squad just once, at West Brom on Boxing Day.

Meanwhile, Wenger gave a vote of confidence to central defender Pascal Cygan, who has come in for criticism recently.

Wenger said: “The criticism is unjustified in my opinion because I think he has done very well.

“He has done very well when he has been guided by a player who has experience at that level, and he has done well with Sol Campbell and with Martin Keown because they are two talkers who will lead the defence.

“He has the confidence to play well but I don’t think at the moment he has the confidence or authority to lead the defence on his own. If Sol doesn’t play then everybody will have to take a part of the leadership at the back because there is no outspoken leader there.”

Martin Keown is ruled out with a hamstring injury and Campbell has only a 40% chance of recovering from an Achilles problem and facing the Spaniards according to Wenger, which means Cygan could be forced to partner Latvian Igors Stepanovs.