Mikel Arteta is scrambling around for a trio in the middle of the park ahead of some extremely tricky fixtures
Mikel Arteta would love to have a team of Ben Whites. Few players encapsulate the Spaniard’s footballing philosophy better than the defender. He’s intense, aggressive and scarcely makes a mistake on the ball.
However, the quality of White’s that Arteta will have been wishing extended to his entire Arsenal squad this week is his refusal to play international football. While the ex-Brighton man has been recuperating following a hectic start to the Premier League campaign, a sizeable contingent of his team-mates jetted off around the world to represent their respective countries.
The international break is always a tense time for club managers – particularly those as obsessive as Arteta – as they are forced to watch their prized assets risk injury and add to their game load in pursuit of national glory. And on Monday, the Gunners boss’ worst fears played out in front of his eyes.