Arteta defends Arsenal’s international withdrawals

Arsenal faced a notable setback when 11 of its 18 players called up for international duty last month were unable to participate due to injuries. Despite this, the club’s manager, Mikel Arteta, highlighted the strong collaboration between Arsenal and national teams, emphasizing that the medical condition of each player was clearly shared with their respective squads.

International call-ups and player absences

Across the 20 Premier League sides, 228 players were selected for World Cup qualifiers and friendlies. A total of 23 players withdrew from these assignments, with almost half being from Arsenal. This raised questions about whether the Gunners were experiencing an injury crisis or adopting a strategic approach to player selection.

“We have very good relationship and communication with most of the national teams—certainly with [England manager] Thomas Tuchel too,” Arteta stated. “We have been extremely supportive all the time. When you have to communicate the state of every player, we are always honest and a medical decision had to be made. That was clear what the conclusion was.”

Key players affected by injuries

Following the Carabao Cup final defeat by Manchester City, defender William Saliba confirmed his absence from the France squad due to an ankle injury. His centre-back partner Gabriel also withdrew from Brazil with a knee issue. Additional absences included England’s Eberechi Eze (calf), Norway’s Martin Odegaard (knee), Netherlands’ Jurrien Timber (groin), and Belgium’s Leandro Trossard (hip).

Further withdrawals came after players joined their national teams, such as England’s Declan Rice (knock), Bukayo Saka (knock), and Noni Madueke (injured his knee against Uruguay), along with Spain’s Martin Zubimendi (knee) and Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie (undisclosed). Arteta affirmed his players’ eagerness to represent their countries.

“When you are fit and available to play for the national team, you have to play,” he added. “It makes us so proud that we had that many players in the national team. Players are desperate to play for their nation. I know how important it is to them. We are fully supportive of that and when we can do it, we do it.”

Arsenal’s FA Cup preparations

As Premier League leaders, Arsenal is set to face the Championship’s Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday at 20:00 BST. Arteta mentioned that Eze will miss the match due to injury, but Odegaard and Timber are hopeful of returning. Madueke’s condition, initially feared to be severe, now presents a potential doubt.

Arteta hinted at the uncertainty surrounding the 11 players’ availability for the Saints match. “You will see. I will let you do the speculation. You can judge afterwards,” he said. “We are in a position right now where we need to make the strongest line-up we possibly can to win every competition. We are two or three games away from the FA Cup and we know how important that competition is for us.”