Gabon international striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been stripped of Arsenal’s captaincy over a disciplinary breach, the club has confirmed.
The Arsenal captain was left out of the matchday squad for the 3-0 win over Southampton at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon for breaking club protocol once again.
According to the club, the striker will again miss the team’s Wednesday’s Premier League match against West Ham United.
“Following his latest disciplinary breach last week, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will no longer be our club captain, and will not be considered for selection for Wednesday’s match against West Ham United,” read a statement on the club’s website on Tuesday 14th December, 2021.
”We expect all our players, particularly our captain, to work to the rules and standards we have all set and agreed.
”We are fully focused on tomorrow’s match.”
Aubameyang may well have already played his final Arsenal game of 2021 as a result.
This is because of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament as FIFA regulations, as per the Guardian, stipulate that players must be released by their clubs on 27 December – 13 days before the tournament’s first match.
This means Aubameyang – along with Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny and Nicolas Pepe – won’t be available for the Wolves clash in the Premier League a day after, nor the visit of Manchester City on January 1.
