Mikel Arteta has told any member of his squad struggling for first-team minutes that they need to ‘train more’ with the Arsenal boss not interested in excuses about match rhythm.
The Gunners have assembled one of the deepest squads in European football over the last couple of years with Ezri Konsa, Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis arriving in the summer transfer window.
Arteta does have a clear first choice starting XI when everyone is fit however with seven players starting all six Premier League games so far this season in his settled side.
The Gunners boss has rang in changes outside of the Premier League in the Carabao Cup and the Champions League.
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He rotated his side midweek against Lille with Mikel Merino and Viktor Gyokeres starting but the duo failed to take their chances, replaced midway through the second half.
A demanding season across four competitions will force Arteta’s hand as the campaign progresses but Arteta has warned he does not accept any excuses over performance levels this term.
After it was suggested those midweek performances could have been down to a lack of rhythm and limited game time this season, Arteta fired back on Friday: “They need to train more then.
‘What I don’t want is an excuse. ‘No but when I play I lack rhythm’. Yeah? So what do we do then? We send you on holidays?
‘So you play, you have to be available. When you don’t play, you have to make sure that you do everything you can to impact the team. Because otherwise the other ones that are playing, ‘I don’t perform because I’m tired’.
‘So then it’s always an excuse. I hate excuses. We know the role. We know that the competitiveness that we need in the team is at the maximum level and they are doing amazingly well.
‘I don’t see any player that is playing that lacks rhythm or lacks this. Everybody is involved.
‘Everybody has played minutes and it will continue to be like this because they have really deserved that. So hopefully we can maintain that because it’s a massive asset for us.’